For immediate release to all media houses.
PRESS RELEASE
Alliance For Change statements from March 17, 2023 press conference
VIDEO LINK TO PRESS CONFERENCE
E ID PROJECT
The Alliance For Change notes with alarm Government’s recent announcement that it has entered into a 34 Million US dollar contract with a German company for the production and roll out of an electronic citizenship card that will consolidate the data of the holder into a Digital format.
There can be no doubt of the AFC’s commitment and that of the previous coalition government which established a Ministry whose primary focus was examine these issues namely – internet governance, digital skills development, digital promotion, digital entrepreneurship, e government, cybersecurity, post and telecommunications.
We are quite aware of the power of technology if implemented in a cohesive manner and with the requisite legal protections, to improve access to government service, the ease of doing business and ultimately the development of a strong robust economy and overall growth and development.
What is of grave concern with regards to the E ID announcement is the piece meal approach to what should be a clearly defined structured approach to a complexed issue – that is moving our paper based systems in Guyana into the digital world of the 21st century. This must be based on a clearly articulated policy backed by an action oriented road map for implementation. Neither of these have been presented to the people of Guyana.
The ramblings we have heard refer to work permits and immigration issues for the most part and fail to provide a cohesive eGovernment approach which should include plans to implement the following:
eServices – which seeks to improve the delivery of government services to citizens through an enabling ICT based environment
eParticipation – which reduces the digital divide – in Guyana between the hinterland, poor and remote communities, across our 10 regions and internationally for our diaspora especially
eAdministration – a secure computing environment for the Government of Guyana in keeping with industry standards, a whole-of-government approach with interoperability among government agencies.
The recommended approach should also start with broad consultation where Government lays out their holistic e-Governance agenda and identifies the key and enabling building blocks of the proposed system. An e-ID should be just one of these blocks and others would include – e-health, e-education, e-agriculture, e-tax, e-police to name a few. Integration with other digital systems such as our passport issuing and border control, birth and deaths registries are also be considered. It remains unclear the integration of this e-ID system with Gecom’s systems and the oppositions’ call for the use biometrics for identification at place of poll.
A national programme of this magnitude would need to start off with the digitization of our registries. You will recall the over 100 young ICT proficient Guyanese who were in the process of doing this who were fired on the advent of this administration in August 2020.
This e-ID project ideally should form part of modernizing the General Register Office which is the entity responsible for Guyana’s civil registry. GRO’s legislation may need to be updated for this level of digital modernization in addition of a comprehensive range of legislation will be required in addition to data protection and cybersecurity. Many countries have passed legislation regarding data storage and protection including prohibiting the storage of citizens data outside of the national territory.
Where is Government’s public articulation of systems and assurances that will guarantee the rights of all Guyanese. Our Citizens must also have rights like those guaranteed under the EU General Data Protection Regulation at a minimum. They must be able to know which individual or Government Agency has accessed their personal data, when and for what purpose. The penalties for illegal access to citizens data should also highlighted.
Given this scope major fundamental issues have not been addressed in the public domain to date and are totally missing from what should be an intelligent, informative discussion on a national issue. We in the AFC feel this is not just a coincidence but a deliberate attempt by the PPP not to be transparent as is its modus operandi.
There has been no public information programme to inform, educate and engender trust in such a system targeted to the people of Guyana which will require access to ones most private personal data. This project also did not come to the Parliament for the requisite discission and scrutiny. These omissions are all too glaring to be accidental and therefore we can only conclude this is the disdain with which this government holds its citizens which it is supposed to serve.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FOREST 2023
As we prepare to celebrate International Day of Forests on March 21st , under the theme "Forest and Health", which emphasizes the close links between healthy forests and human well-being on our planet. For Guyana, forests are not only a source of economic and ecological value but also play a vital role in supporting public health and livelihoods for many communities. Our forests are also home to countless species of flora and fauna, and play a critical role in mitigating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Trees and other vegetation in forests provide a range of ecosystem services, including clean air, water, food, and medicine, which are essential for human health and well-being. Forests also plays a critical role in supporting sustainable development and reducing poverty in many parts of the world including here in Guyana.
The forest sector in Guyana provides jobs and income for many communities, resources such as timber, non-timber forest products are important to the income of men, women and communities as a whole.
As we continue to work towards restoring and protecting our forests, we must recognize in particular the critical role that our indigenous peoples have played throughout history. We must recognize the ongoing importance of communities and local forest managers who have been stewards of these precious ecosystems for generations.
At the same time, forests are also vulnerable to a range of threats, including deforestation, degradation, and climate change. The impact of climate change on forests cannot be ignored. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events have already begun to take a toll on forests, leading to increased frequency and severity of forest fires, droughts, and insect outbreaks in many parts of the world. These disturbances not only affect the health and productivity of forests but also have a cascading effect on the broader ecosystem and human societies that rely on them. By maintaining our forests, we can avoid and mitigate some of the worst impacts of climate change through the reduction of carbon émissions, preservation of biodiversity, and ensuring the resilience of our ecosystems. Though many of these benefits are under increased threat from rapid mining and insufficient coherence in our national approach.
Recently, with the new extractive industry we have seen mangroves forest being destroyed and as traditional mining expands, there is still no proper re-forestation plan in place. We are pushing the Frontier of forest destruction and we should be mindful of the consequences.
These threats not only undermine the ecological health of our forests but also pose risks to public health by compromising access to critical ecosystem services. By promoting sustainable forest management practices and investing in forest restoration efforts, we can ensure that our forests continue to provide essential ecosystem services for human health and well-being.
The sustainable livelihoods that our forest generate should be increased and nurtured through a policy framework and an enabling environment based on meaningful and effective participation of indigenous and other local communities.
Financially, over the years we have seen the benefit of the forests without clear cutting and as a result of our sustainable forest management. I wish here and now to acknowledge the work and commitment of the Guyana Forestry Commission staff and board.
Guyana has recently obtained considerable amounts of money through the multilateral Global Climate Fund, we have had committed some 700 odd million USD from carbon credits and more recently over 5 billion Guyana dollars from the European Union. The task of rewarding standing forests in global. But forests in themselves will not stop the climate crisis. We must all reduce our greenhouse gases.
As a sitting Member of Parliament I cannot over emphasize the absurdity of having the Natural Resources Sectorial Committee in parliament not functioning. As Guyanese say “you can’t speak through both sides of your mouth”’. If indeed we are to fulfill our national and international commitments, we must engage all elected officials. Natural resources are not the purview only of government….all Guyanese have a role and must be enabled to do so.
As we celebrate this year’s theme of "Forest and Health", let us renew our commitment to safeguarding our forests and promoting sustainable forest management practices. By doing so, we can ensure that our forests continue to provide vital ecosystem services that support human health and well-being for generations to come.
“I intend to plant a tree under whose shade I do not expect sit” ..should be a popular refrain.
END.
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