Police clearance, birth and death certificates to go online as Gov’t advances digitisation

President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced that Guyanese will soon be able to apply online for key government documents—including police clearances, and birth and death certificates—as part of the administration’s sweeping digitisation agenda aimed at modernising public services.

Speaking at his first press conference of his second term, President Ali said the government is pushing for a “common framework and common system” across state agencies to ensure efficiency, transparency, and ease of access.

“Our goal is to have this happen by the second quarter of 2026,” he told reporters. “We want government services to be faster, easier, and more transparent. Digitisation reduces the time to do business and improves accountability across all agencies.”

The digitisation process will be spearheaded by the Chief Technology Officer, supported by the National Data Management Authority (NDMA). Already, a survey has been conducted to assess the current state of digital readiness in both the public and private sectors.

“We met with all IT heads recently, and we are moving this forward with a clear focus,” President Ali said.

The President emphasised that while the government is modernising its systems, the private sector must also keep pace with digitisation. “The private sector will also need to advance at a similar pace,” he said.

A key part of the wider transformation is ensuring every citizen owns a bank account, which the President described as the gateway to broader opportunities such as fintech adoption.

“Education around using cards rather than cheques is important. It’s more transparent and easier to track,” he explained, underscoring the link between financial inclusion and digital efficiency.

The President described digitisation as central to Guyana’s wider development agenda, enabling citizens to access services seamlessly while boosting competitiveness in the economy.

“Digitisation is about making life easier for people while also building a system that is transparent, reliable, and efficient,” President Ali said.

With plans to roll out the framework by 2026, Guyanese can expect to see the gradual transformation of how government interacts with citizens—ushering in what the President has described as a new era of public service delivery.