Technology on new ID card will be the first in the world – President Ali

The new Guyanese ID card being developed by a German company will be cutting edge, carrying technological features that will be the first to be used in any part of the world, President Irfaan Ali said on Tuesday night.

His comments came after meeting with a team from Veridos, the company that is executing the US$34.5 million project.

“The technology on our card will be the first in the world,” Dr Ali said at a Europe Day reception held at the Georgetown Club, showing that Guyana is “leading again on everything.”

“We are not playing around at second best,” the President declared.

The new ID system will be tailored to Guyana and boasts a range of features including, but not limited to, greater privacy, ISO certification, cross-border protection, and acceptance by the International Civil Aviation Organization for international travel.

“Guyana must get accustomed to playing at its best” and be “among the winners”, President Ali stated.

The card will register an individual’s biographic and biometric data and this will be printed on laser-engraved polycarbonate material using black-and-white technology with secure pre-printed designs. It will carry a chip to allow for the integration of a variety of services.

Many countries have already implemented the electronic identification system as part of their national identity management programme to promote e-government and other services.

“It promotes the idea of one citizen, one identity, assigning a unique national identification number to all citizens,” Dr. Ali had said when the government signed the contract with Veridos.

The card will offer fingerprint verification for cardholders with the current need for proof of address when conducting transactions at financial institutions to be eliminated.

The system altogether will share data internationally but focuses locally on an integrated identification system across government agencies and the private sector.

“You have to take bold decisions and to be aggressive and seek the right partnerships,” Dr Ali posited Tuesday night.

The cards will be produced at Veridos’ facilities where there is full European Union Security level clearance. The new system will be backed by laws to protect data and privacy.