ICT hubs slated for Georgetown
Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Appointments, Catherine Hughes
Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Appointments, Catherine Hughes

–poor communities to get first dibs

TWENTY areas around Georgetown have been identified for the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hubs.

Mayor Patricia Chase-Greene

Although the initiative is being discussed at the municipal level, Georgetown’s Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green, as well as Councillors of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) are highly optimistic about the successful launch of the project.

The advancement of technology is constant, and in order to keep up with the rapid changes, the Ministry of Public Telecommunication, under its E-Governance Division, has sought to partner with the M&CC to make the execution of this project more efficient and successful.
During a presentation to the Mayor and Councillors yesterday, an official of the E-Governance unit stressed the importance of the M&CC’s role in making sure the ICT project is a success.
It was said that one of their key roles is providing spaces owned by them to set up the ICT hubs.

These hubs will be equipped with computers and other technological devices which allow persons to have free access to the Internet, and even use the basic features of the computer to do work, to study and so forth.
And these opportunities, the official said, will be given to the lesser developed communities such as Albouystown and Rasville.
This is a fraction of a larger initiative to ensure that “poor, remote and hinterland” areas have access to ICT.

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Kathy Hughes had explained last year that programmes will provide for the installation of ICT infrastructure and networks for Internet and telephony access for hinterland, poor, and remote communities.
Training, she said, will also be provided for not only residents in those communities, but also for government staff and entities such as the E-Government Unit.

“When this government took over the reins of statehood last year,” she’d said, “one of the first promises President Granger made was to ensure that our technologies would be brought up to par with the rest of the world; to use a well-known cliché, bring Guyana into the 21st Century.

“And this project puts Guyana firmly on the road to achieving that objective.”
As such, the officials of the M&CC welcomed the proposal, and indicated that they are looking forward to making the project a reality very soon.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.