Govt targets full digitisation of services by mid-2026 – President Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that the Government will fully digitise most state services by the end of the second quarter of 2026, in what he described as a national transformation programme designed to modernise the public sector, enhance transparency, and improve efficiency. The Head of State unveiled the plan during his first press conference since being re-elected, held on Monday at the Office of the President. He said the initiative is being guided by a Chief Technology Officer (CTO), supported by the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), and will cover services ranging from passport applications to patient health records.
“As you know, a few days ago I held a meeting with all the IT heads and outlined the digital transformation plan aimed at fully digitalising all Government services before the end of the second quarter in 2026,” President Ali said. “I have announced the appointment of the Chief Technology Officer, who will be supported by the NDMA to manage the digitisation process and to implement a digital platform to monitor and track key performance indicators for Government agencies, ensuring greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency.”

President Ali explained that the project aims to create an integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) system across all agencies, which will ultimately reduce bureaucracy and make Government more accessible to citizens. “This will apply across all agencies, including the security agencies: the way in which you get a security clearance, the way in which you get your birth certificate, the way in which persons apply for a death certificate. All of these systems are actively being migrated onto a digital platform,” he said.

Online systems
He highlighted that several components of the initiative are already in place. The border control and e-gate system were launched in January, while the e-passport issuance system went live in February. These upgrades, the President noted, have already improved airport security and traveller verification, bringing Guyana in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards. “The e-passport provides the Guyanese citizen with a next-generation travel document full of advanced security features and functionalities to facilitate safer and more efficient international travel,” he said. The online passport portal is also in its final stage of development and is expected to go live before the end of 2025. “We will have a decentralised system where appointments are booked online, and you will go to the nearest service centre to you,” President Ali explained.
Health services are also undergoing a digital shift. The President said the digitisation of patient records at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) began in March and is expected to be completed by mid-2026. Patient files at GPHC should be live by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
“In addition, the Ministry of Health has launched a pilot online appointment system at the Festival City Polyclinic. This is a system under testing. As you know, we don’t want the lines that you see in the hospitals and clinics. We want to move the system into an app-based system where you have appointments, so you don’t have to waste your time or sit at these clinics for hours,” the President added.
The US$15 million One Health Project is also being rolled out to strengthen disease surveillance, upgrade laboratory systems, and build capacity in pandemic preparedness.

Digital Guyana
Beyond healthcare and security, the Government’s long-term goal is a unified digital platform giving citizens access to a wide range of services, including passports, drivers’ licences, birth and death certificates, tax filing, business registration, housing applications, and bill payments. “Digital Guyana is our commitment to building a modern state where technology makes public service faster, faster services more accessible and more responsive,” President Ali stated.
The platform will include the AskGov Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered service, designed to provide 24/7 responses to queries, along with applications in education, healthcare and security. AI will be used to support personalised learning, assist in disease diagnosis and even enhance law enforcement capabilities. An integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) will also map and monitor infrastructure such as roads, bridges and drainage systems in real time, improving planning and emergency response. “We want digital Guyana to make life enjoyable. We want digital Guyana to make life easier, to make systems more efficient, to make systems more reliable, to make doing business easier,” the President said.