Digital registry for old age pensioners, public assistance, other Human Services and Social Security beneficiaries

Last Updated on Monday, 24 March 2025, 22:09 by Writer

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on Monday announced that it was moving apace with efforts to create a registry of old age pensioners, public assistance recipients, domestic violence support, and anti-trafficking initiatives.

Called the Beneficiary Registry and Document Management System (BRDMS), the advanced new software platform is expected to assist in the management of various care facilities under the ministry’s jurisdiction.

This initiative, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Synergy International Systems Inc., marks a transformative step in the ministry’s commitment to enhancing service delivery to the citizens of Guyana, the ministry said in a statement.

Hayk Vardanyan, the representative from Synergy International Systems, explained the technical aspects of the BRDMS, detailing the ongoing process of migrating the ministry’s vast data onto the new system.

He noted that once fully operational, the BRDMS would support over 50 social services provided by the ministry. Importantly, the new system will shift the focus from an individual-based model of service delivery to a household-centric approach, ensuring a more comprehensive and efficient allocation of resources.

The system will enable the tracking of individual information and link beneficiaries to the appropriate services based on their needs.

“The ministry is shifting from an individual-based social service delivery to a household-based concept. So, in the BRDMS platform, everything will go around the household. Once the household is registered under the social registry, we can link the members of this household and make them a beneficiary of any social service by the ministry,” Vardanyan explained.

With the implementation of the BRDMS, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is poised to usher in a new era of streamlined, secure, and accessible public service delivery, setting a powerful example for digital transformation across the region.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud said once operational, the platform would streamline application processes, shorten response times, and ensure the security of applicants’ information.

“The BRDMS should be utilised meaningfully, and purposefully and it is really transitioning us from a paper-based system to an entirely digital system. This is a significant thing and should not be looked at lightly because it is integrating the services of our ministry into the social security nets of society,” she was quoted as saying in a statement.

Last weekend marked the end of a a two-week intensive training session for staff responsible for policy development and administration; the delivery of essential social services, including old-age pensions, public assistance, domestic violence support, anti-trafficking initiatives, and the management of various care facilities under the ministry’s jurisdiction, and the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA).

The purpose of the training was to equip staff with the skills needed to navigate the new BRDMS software and prepare them for its full implementation later this year.

Minister Persaud highlighted the transformative potential of the BRDMS in enhancing the ministry’s ability to serve the public. She emphasised that this digital platform represents a critical shift from a paper-based system to a fully digitalised environment, aligning with the broader goal of integrating technology into everyday life.

“We look at it [BRDMS] as an anti-poverty mapping. It finds persons across our country and provides services to them in such a way that they will feel that the service delivery is not an exercise in futility or frustration,” Dr Persaud added.

The Minister also underscored that the BRDMS would significantly improve the accessibility of social services, ensuring that no individual falls through the cracks. With the recently passed Data Protection Act, the privacy and security of all data entered into the system will be guaranteed, fostering trust and transparency in the ministry’s operations.

The Data Protection Act is yet to be operationalised.

Additionally, Lorena Salazar, Country Representative of the IDB, applauded the initiative as an essential move toward building a more robust and efficient digital social security system in Guyana.

“This is not just implementing a new system but laying the foundation for a more responsive and effective way of delivering services for the people of Guyana,” Salazar noted.