The Digital Identity Card Act of 2023 officially came into operation on Tuesday, March 31, following a commencement order issued by Prime Minister Mark Phillips in his capacity as the responsible minister — but the Government is assuring citizens that sensitive personal data will not be requested until full data protection mechanisms are in place.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall confirmed that only basic personal information, similar to data already held by state agencies such as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), will be collected at this stage.
“The data that would be taken at this point in time remains… data that is accessible in the public domain,” Nandlall explained.
The Attorney General stressed that the phased approach is a deliberate measure to protect citizens, noting that more sensitive personal information will only be sought once the Data Protection Act is fully operational. The Government has already established a Data Protection Commission and is working to complete the administrative framework required to enforce the law.
“The government accords your private data… the highest priority,” Nandlall said, adding that “until and unless the Data Protection Agency is fully operational, the government will not be requesting… private confidential data.”
With the law now in force, the process of obtaining a digital ID card is no longer voluntary — eligible persons are now required to apply for and obtain one. Distribution and registration are set to begin, with application offices already established in several regions across the country, including Region Two (Cotton Field, Anna Regina), Region Three (Leonora), Region Four (Campbellville, Georgetown), and Region Five (Fort Wellington). Additional locations are expected to be rolled out across other regions in the coming period.
Once the necessary data protection safeguards are fully in place, the Government indicated that additional private data may be incorporated into the digital ID system under the protections afforded by law.
