President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced plans to introduce mobile Government service units in countries with large Guyanese populations, bringing essential public services directly to members of the diaspora as part of the Government’s ongoing digital transformation agenda.

Speaking during a meeting with the Guyanese community in Saint Lucia, President Ali said the initiative will make it easier for overseas Guyanese to access services such as passport applications, National Insurance Scheme (NIS) transactions, birth certificate replacements and other government services without having to travel to Guyana.

“What we want to do at least once every year in the beginning is to take the mobile Government service across every country where we have a large diaspora so we can service that diaspora with one unit, whether it’s NIS, birth certificates, replacement of any document and all of these things,” the President said.

As part of the engagement, members of the Guyanese community were invited to submit their names, contact information and details of any issues requiring Government intervention.

The Head of State said the initiative forms part of the Government’s broader effort to modernise public service delivery through technology while strengthening engagement with Guyanese living abroad.

“We have been able to reduce transaction time in some cases from weeks to minutes. Before, residents in Essequibo had to travel to Georgetown for GRA services, licence renewals, passports and digital IDs. Now, in five minutes, they can access those services at one office in Essequibo,” he said.

President Ali also addressed concerns surrounding the introduction of biometric passports, assuring that mobile biometric services are being expanded.

“I know many of you have had challenges obtaining the new passports that require biometrics, but very soon that challenge will no longer be there,” he said.

He added that Guyanese overseas will also have direct access to Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diaspora Unit and the CitizenConnect platform, allowing concerns to be submitted and directed to the appropriate agencies for action.

During the engagement, members of the Guyanese community commended the Government’s development agenda while raising issues relating to pensions, public services and governance.

President Ali encouraged Guyanese abroad to remain engaged with Guyana’s development, noting that the country’s rapid transformation is creating opportunities for citizens, investors and the wider Caribbean.