By Royan Abrams
The Regional Democratic Council of Region Two is calling on the Government to give priority to the upgrading of the Anna Regina Passport Office so that residents having to renew or get a new passport can do so at that facility.
Over the past months, residents have expressed concerns that it is burdensome to travel to Georgetown early in the morning to join long lines to get their passport renewed or apply for passports. They noted that sometimes they are forced to return home without their transactions being completed.
According to the regional Chairman, Devanand Ramdat, frustrations were also expressed by residents who have no relatives to provide accommodation for them in the city and it is very difficult to get an early number since the earliest they can depart from the Essequibo Coast is 6:00 hours.
He said at that time persons living in the regions closer to the capital city would have already started to line up at the Passport and Immigration Office in Georgetown putting the Essequibians at a disadvantage.
Additionally, the council calls for urgent action by the Minister of Citizenship to provide a time frame for the strengthening of the Anna Regina Passport Office to provide machine readable passports.
Apart from region two, the upgrading of the passport office will also help persons from the Moruka Sub region, Wakenaam, Leguan and Bartica.
It was recently announced that residents of Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10), will be able to renew their passports, without having to travel Georgetown. A system was organised whereby 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.
