Arising out of its request for assistance from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2021, the Government of Guyana yesterday inked a US$34 million contract with German-headquartered company, Veridos, for the production and rollout of an electronic citizenship card that consolidates the data of the holder, providing for easier access to public and private sector services.
But while Guyana hopes to boost easier access across platforms with the swipe of the card and privacy aspects being “second to none”, technology experts have expressed concern about this country neither having ample or robust legislation to guard against cyber threats nor a comprehensive Data Privacy Policy. Questions are also being raised as to whether this contract should have been subject to public procurement as opposed to direct discussions with the UAE.
