No tax or health data stored on digital ID – Commissioner clarifies

Contrary to public concerns, the government says the digital ID card will not store tax, health, or financial records.

Data Protection Commissioner Aneal Giddings told News Room that such information will not be placed on or inside the card at any stage.

“None of that information will be either on or in the card in any way, shape or form,” he said.

Instead, the card will function as a tool to identify individuals and locate their records within existing systems.

For example, agencies like the Guyana Revenue Authority or the National Insurance Scheme would use the card to quickly confirm identity and retrieve the correct record.

“It will help to take your card and quickly identify and locate the record that pertains to you,” Giddings explained.

He stressed that this does not mean agencies will gain access to each other’s databases.

As for the Tax Identification Number (TIN), authorities say it is not used to access tax records, but may be accepted as supporting documentation, such as proof of address.

The system is built on the principle that most of the data being collected is already held by state agencies, rather than entirely new information being created.

The clarification comes amid widespread concern about data sharing as Guyana moves toward a more digitised public service system.

 

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