–Finance Minister urges Region Six residents during opening of GoG’s new service centre at Port Mourant
Outlining the various transformational development projects that are ongoing in Region Six under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh today invited everyone to come on board with President Irfaan Ali’s Digital agenda as modernisation and transformation continues.
The Minister was at the time delivering the feature address to a large number of Berbicians gathered at Port Mourant to witness the opening of the new Government of Guyana Services Centre. The Centre will offer a range of services to persons in the Region including Immigration and Passport and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) services amongst others and is expected to improve the efficiency and accessibility of these essential services to citizens.
The finance minister explained further that the transformation and modernization of Guyana is not only about infrastructure, bridges, roads, hospitals, and schools but is also about the modernization of citizen experience as he zeroed in on the government service centre, such as the one opened today in the region.
He noted that these are deliberate initiatives intended to modernize the experience that persons have when interacting with agencies of the State but comprise only a part of government’s modernization initiatives.
“You know that we came to you less than a year ago with a manifesto, and we promised that we are going to build out digital Guyana—a digital agenda for modernizing the manner in which you are able to access services in our country. And that digital agenda includes being able to make applications online, being able to make payments online, being able to process transactions online—a wide range of initiatives,” Dr. Singh told residents.
Noting that President Ali and the PPP/C are deploying the solutions, he posited that today persons can apply for a passport, cash grants, a bank account, a birth certificate or marriage certificate online.
“We are building out these platforms and these services, but I want to appeal to you to embrace and be a part of this modernization. Don’t be content to say you don’t know how to operate computers, or you don’t know how to download an app, or you don’t know how to use a website,” he told attendees.
“The choice is between joining a line and waiting for hours—the choice maybe is going to town, going to New Amsterdam, joining a line, waiting for hours in the line. President Ali has said these lines must be a matter of the past. They must be banished into the dustbins of history,” Minister Singh posited further.
“President Ali’s vision is that you must be able to stay at home and use your phone or tablet and submit the application online, make the payment online, request the service online, make the query online,” the finance minister outlined.
On this note he appealed to citizens to come on board and be a part of the modernization and digitization agenda as it is intended to benefit them as citizens of the country.
“We’re going to continue to build out this modernization and this transformation. Come on board and be a part of this remarkably exciting digital agenda to build out a more modern Guyana that our President is leading for us!” Minister Singh concluded.
