HGP Nightly News – The debate about whether Guyana’s E-ID rollout was happening ahead of its legal framework is officially over. Prime Minister Mark Phillips announced on Tuesday night that a commencement order has been issued, bringing the Digital Identity Card Act of 2023 into full operation; a move that addresses one of the most persistent criticisms levelled by the opposition and puts the entire E-ID programme on firm legal footing for the first time.
“This marks a major step forward in modernising how the government serves you,” the Prime Minister said, confirming that the foundational requirements outlined in the Act have now been fully met. Three critical pillars have been put in place to make this possible, a Data Protection Commissioner has been appointed, a secure system and database for capturing and storing personal information is now operational, and a production system capable of generating and issuing the physical digital ID cards is up and running.
For citizens anxious about what information they will be required to hand over, the Prime Minister offered a straightforward reassurance. The data needed for registration is nothing new; it is information that Guyanese have already provided to state authorities at some point in the past.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the information you are required to provide to the registry is data you have already provided to other state authorities,” Phillips said, framing the process as a consolidation of existing records rather than a fresh intrusion into personal life. More sensitive personal data, he added, will only be requested once the companion Data Protection Act is also brought into full force; work that is actively underway.
For those ready to register, the Government has already established offices in four regions. Residents in Region 2 can visit the office at Cottonfield and Regina, while Region 3 is served by the West Central Mall in Lenora. In Region 4, the registration centre is located on Craig Street in Campbellville, the very location where residents have already been reporting smooth and speedy experiences and Region 5 is covered by the office at Fort Wellington on the West Coast of Berbice.
The Prime Minister confirmed that offices in all remaining administrative regions will follow soon, ensuring that no Guyanese is left out of reach of the registration process regardless of where they live. With the legal framework now in place, the opposition’s most pointed argument against the E-ID rollout has been directly answered. The Act is active.
