GEORGETOWN – The government has backed away from any suggestion that Guyanese are being compelled to sign up for the new electronic identification system, clarifying that enrollment remains voluntary until the full legal framework is completed. Attorney General Anil Nandlall told reporters that the Digital Identity Card Act and Data Protection Act are still being finalized in Parliament, and emphasized that staff must be properly trained before any mandatory rollout begins. For now, he said, only basic identifying information already held by the State is being collected, and claims of political exploitation are both misleading and unfounded.
But the opposition is sounding alarms. APNU Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Sherod Duncan has warned that the government has already begun capturing biometric data from thousands of public servants without the necessary safeguards, oversight, or clarity on how that information will be stored and shared. He argued that the rollout is happening ahead of the law itself and risks creating what he calls a “single spine of traceable identity,” linking everything from a person’s banking profile and healthcare records to their movement across borders. For Duncan, the biggest concern is that Parliament has not yet activated the systems designed to protect citizens from misuse or abuse.
He also highlighted what he describes as a troubling contradiction. While the government has embraced biometrics for national identity and state services, it has repeatedly rejected their inclusion at GECOM, where the same technology could help verify voters and prevent electoral fraud. Duncan warned that once the digital identity database is fully operational, it could have influence over electoral verification, public-sector benefits, and social programmes that determine everyday access to government resources.
Nandlall has pushed back on this view, insisting that the fears being spread are an attempt to create hysteria over a policy that will ultimately make life easier for citizens navigating government services. However, the opposition maintains that the issue is not the technology itself, but how it is deployed. Duncan said Guyanese deserve the benefits of modernization without sacrificing privacy or democratic freedoms, warning that “Guyanese want digital progress, not a digital cage.”
APNU has promised to raise the matter urgently in Parliament, demanding clarity on the US$34 million Veridos contract behind the E-ID system and accountability on what protective mechanisms will be put in place. While government officials continue to reassure that everything being done is legal and transparent, the dispute has quickly grown into a national debate over the balance between innovation and personal liberty, and whether Guyana can modernize without putting rights at risk.
As the country moves deeper into the digital era, the question now dominating political discourse is simple: Will the E-ID be Guyana’s gateway to convenience and development, or a tool that gives the State unprecedented control over the lives of its people?
