-by NaAsia Bristol

Government says its push toward digital services is not only improving access but also tackling long-standing inefficiencies and corruption risks.

The Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulifkar Ally says new platforms are already helping hundreds of Guyanese connect with jobs and services across the country.

Minister Ally says one of the standout tools, the SkillsConnect app, is bridging the gap between job seekers and service providers.

“We’ve had 1,872 profiles that have been created on the app since we launched it, 438 job connections that we know of that were made, I’m pretty sure there were a lot more, and we’ve had 232 service connections,” he said.

The app is part of a broader government initiative to modernize public services through digital platforms, an effort highlighted during a National Stakeholders Forum hosted by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance. The forum brought together civil society groups to explore how systems like GovConnect, Citizen Connect, the Single Window System and Digital Immigration Services work, and how citizens can benefit.

Many of these platforms were developed locally by Guyanese professionals, highlighting the country’s growing technological capacity and address long-standing inefficiencies. Minister Gail Teixeira noted that in the past, citizens had to move between multiple agencies to complete a single process creating delays and opportunities for misconduct.

“You had to go through 13 agencies. So imagine you’re walking from one agency to another, and everybody takes their time, everybody’s busy… So you’ll speed up my application. With that system being introduced, it has removed the opportunities in the main for persons to request bribes, to pay bribes,” she said.

The minister stated that expanding digital access is key to improving public service delivery, strengthening transparency, and ensuring more Guyanese can connect with government services—no matter where they live.