–to strengthen security at ports of entry
PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has unveiled plans to further digitise the processes and systems at Guyana’s ports of entry.
“The next phase of advancement at our ports is to have a fully-digitised scanner system for everything that is coming in and going out,” President Ali said during the opening ceremony of the 2025 officers’ conference.
The government has partnered with the United States of America (USA) to craft a programme to install the scanners.
“So, we are going to remove the burden on our human capacity,” he added.
The Head of State further emphasised that the new system would ensure that every item entering or leaving the country would be scanned for traceability, accountability, and security, without overburdening human resources.
“We are going to have scanners at all our ports, for every single thing that is going in and coming out, with traceability, accountability, and also with storage capacity, so that we can have better security and better management of our borders system,” he added.
The President confirmed that new legislation would be introduced to impose higher fines for individuals who fail to correctly declare items in their possession when travelling.
He said: “With that will come enhanced legislation that would see higher fines for persons who would not correctly declare what is in their bags going in and coming out,” President Ali said, adding: “So, the burden of responsibility, legislatively, would be shifted more to people, because partnership is about people, and people must take responsibility for their actions.”
The President’s vision for the future includes a phased roll-out of technology and digitisation across the nation’s ports, starting with airports and the wharves.
Dr. Ali said: “You will see technology digitisation being implemented at this next phase at all our ports of entry; that is starting with our airports and our wharf. That is the next phase of development that is almost immediately upon us.”
Guyana is rolling out a fully-automated and paperless process across its ports.
Back in 2024, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had said that this system will allow for pre-screening of passengers, and the use of automated gates, where travellers can simply swipe their identification documents for expedited entry.
He, however, noted that this system would also easily flag discrepancies.
Dr. Jagdeo pointed out that upon entry and screening, all necessary information will be recorded by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
“When you enter into the country, immediately that record goes to a government central database that will be able to track you if you come in on a short-term visa. So, if you overstay, you get flagged; if you come in on a particular visa, you can’t get a work permit,” Dr. Jagdeo had said.
He’d added: “We can know who is coming into our country. We can keep our people secure, and we can flag undesirables before they come home.”
Only recently, electronic gates (e-gates) were installed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
These innovative gates revolutionise the travel process, offering passengers faster check-in times, smoother security screenings, and a more convenient overall experience.
