Georgetown : Government is moving to address the delays experienced by citizens seeking to acquire or renew passports; especially those from the Diaspora. This is an issue that has been raised both locally and internationally, Minister of State Joseph Harmon told the media.
The four to five months taken to acquire this travel document was brought to the attention of President David Granger and several other ministers, during recent overseas trips. As a result, Minister of Citizenry Winston Felix briefed Cabinet and informed that there exists a “backlog” and steps are being taken to ensure that this is “reduced considerably”.
A request for $9.7 million was approved by Cabinet to facilitate additional equipment for the Passport Office. This should see the waiting time reduced to five days, especially for those in the Diaspora. The processing of applications along with deliveries will also be decentralised, “So that a Guyanese citizen in Berbice, in Linden, at Bartica, in Lethem and in the hinterland locations, it will make it easier for them to access these essential documents which are necessary for them to travel and to do business.”
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