President Ali Calls on Public Servants to Support Implementation of ‘Single Window’ System

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has urged public servants not to oppose the rollout of the Electronic Planning and Development Single Window system, which is intended to improve efficiency and simplify business processes.

Speaking at the launch of the new online platform at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Monday, the President made it clear that the government will not accept delays or reluctance to adopt digital transformation.

He pointed out that even after extensive training sessions, “one time, two times, three times, four times on the single window approval system” some individuals continue to resist the change.

The Electronic Planning and Development Single Window system was first launched in 2024 by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). It was designed to replace the old procedure for obtaining building permit approvals, which required handling large paper-based plans and securing clearances from several agencies, including the Central Board of Health, Ministry of Public Works, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Guyana Fire Service.

To address these inefficiencies, the system was created as a single online platform connecting all the relevant agencies, a ‘one-stop shop’ for land and development applications. However, President Ali noted that some persons are still unwilling to fully adapt to the system.

“They have two months to ensure that a single window is working not only optimally but as was designed. And if it doesn’t happen, then people may have other priorities that they have an interest in. And we’ll give them a chance to explore the other priorities,” the President warned.

The Single Window system is part of the government’s broader agenda to modernize governance, reduce bureaucracy, improve public service delivery, and minimize personal bias in administrative decisions.

President Ali stressed that such digital tools are critical for the nation’s long-term development.

“When I said we have five to ten years’ work, I was not joking,” he said. “We have to get it done. There’s no other choice.”

President Ali also mentioned other ongoing digital initiatives, such as the use of the Coursera platform to train public servants and the introduction of technology in agriculture, which allows farmers to access real-time information, weather updates, and field support.

“You may be upset with me today,” he told the audience, “But ten or fifteen years from now, when you see the system working, you’ll say, God bless him.”