Region 10 residents to access decentralised passport services

… service to begin in 1 month

The crowds of citizens that gather on a daily basis at the Georgetown passport office may be reduced, as residents of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) will soon be able to renew their passports without travelling to the capital city.

These measures were announced by Citizenship Minister Winston Felix during a “Meet the Public Day” event at the McKenzie Sports Club ground in Linden on Saturday. According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), residents will be able to access the services from sometime in August. This announcement comes on the backdrop of part of a plan to “decentralise passport related services” in the country.
“The Department of Citizenship has over the past few months been endeavouring to decentralise the receipt of passport applications and the delivery of passports within the regions. Linden will be the third town to have this service available, as this service is being made available in Berbice and Essequibo as well,” Felix is quoted as saying.
Minister Felix further stated that when applying for passports for the first time, applicants will still be required to travel to Georgetown to “complete the process” but stressed that persons who are applying for a renewal “will be able to access the service in Linden”.
“We realise the need to bring Government services in the region and we need to reduce the unnecessary crowds that we have at the passport office at Georgetown,” the Citizenship Minister expressed.
It was also explained that the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Building in McKenzie, has been identified as the location from where the passport service will be provided.
“Immigration Officers will visit the location twice weekly and receive applications for renewal from residents. The applications will be processed in Georgetown and the residents will receive their renewed passports upon the officers’ return the following week,” the release noted.
Assistant National Director, Community Development Councils, Sandra Adams, who will be responsible for “coordinating the setup of the service,” pointed out that “seniors in Linden” will benefit from the new measure.
“There are a lot of seniors in Linden who cannot make it to Georgetown and I have received a lot of complaints recently, that by time they get to Georgetown, the numbers are finished and they have to return without getting their passport. So we are happy for this service to begin,” posited Adams. There have been complaints of people at the Georgetown Office having to stand in long lines for hours or switching seats in a slow moving chair system.