Birth certificates now have security features; computerization of some records completed

Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 December 2016, 12:34 by Denis Chabrol

Birth certificates being produced  by the Guyana Registrar’s Office  now have secure features, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Winston Felix announced Tuesday.

In responding to questions from opposition People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) parliamentarians during consideration of the 2017 Estimates of Expenditure, Felix said a high quality of paper is being used to print birth certificates and “cannot easily be replicated.”

“It is not a piece of paper that we picked up anywhere to use as birth certificates,” Felix told the House.

He also announced that 300,000 birth certificates were produced during 2016.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration said GYD$191 million have been rolled over from last year for the computerization of GRO records from 1896 to 1996.

Already, he said records from 1987  to 2007 have been completed. There are 3.5 million birth and death records from 1896 to 1996.

The Minister of Citizenship said GRO officers are computerizing the records because invitations to tender did not turn up any suitable entities to do such a job. “We tendered on two occasions but the persons tendered don’t have the requirements and as such we have resorted to use the skills at GRO to commence and complete this project,” he said.