HGP Nightly News – President Irfaan Ali has issued one of his strongest warnings yet to public officials, signalling that dismissals are imminent following what he described as alarming irregularities uncovered in Guyana’s vehicular licensing system.
Speaking on Tuesday during an engagement with local women journalists and students, Ali said an internal review comparing licences issued by the Guyana Revenue Authority with records of applicants who passed the required theoretical and practical examinations revealed deeply troubling discrepancies.
“We are building accountability within the system itself,” the President said. “Early in January, you will see a lot of people being sent home. We have just completed examining the records of all the licences issued at GRA versus how many persons passed the theoretical test and how many persons passed the practical test, and I can tell you, the results are alarming.”
Under established procedures, applicants are required to pass the theoretical examination before being allowed to sit the practical driving test. According to Ali, that basic safeguard has been routinely ignored.
“You can’t go on to the practical if you can’t pass the theory,” he said, underscoring the seriousness of the breach.
The President said the government has already moved to tighten controls by digitising the examination process. Applicants now sit exams electronically, with results generated automatically, a system Ali said significantly reduces opportunities for manipulation and human bias.
Earlier this month, Ali had revealed the full scale of the problem, announcing that the government intends to publish the names of individuals who obtained practical driving certificates without ever passing the mandatory theoretical exam. Those individuals, he said, would be given six weeks to voluntarily surrender their certificates and restart the process before enforcement measures take effect.
He also disclosed that investigations by the GRA, the Ministry of the Public Service, the Ministry of Government Efficiency and Implementation, and the Ministry of Home Affairs uncovered widespread irregularities throughout the licensing system.
According to the President, the use of technology has now made it possible to “triangulate” every step of the licensing chain, from theory exams to practical testing and final licence issuance, effectively closing loopholes that allowed abuse to flourish.
With January fast approaching, Ali’s remarks signal a major shake-up within the licensing system, as officials implicated in the irregularities face the prospect of being removed from their posts in what the President has framed as a decisive push for accountability.
