MINISTER of Public Telecommunications Cathy Hughes said the Coalition since taking office in 2015, has sought to bridge the digital divide and make government services more accessible.

She was speaking on the occasion of World Telecommunications and Information Society Day 2020, which was observed on Sunday, May 17, 2020.

“On May 17, the world once again observed World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This year, the event was observed under the theme, ‘Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’. The year 2020 marks the 51st anniversary of these observances and reminds us of how important advancements in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) – and technology as a whole – are to fostering global interconnectedness and development,” Hughes said.

She noted that new ICTs open up possibilities to improve the nation’s health, education, economic and security systems. “They expand our abilities to become entrepreneurs, communicate, spread awareness, be entertained and access information. And now, even as the world collectively battles with the staggering effects of a pandemic, ICTs are enabling various stakeholders to innovate, in an aim to come up with solutions that can help our people,” said Hughes.

She noted that about a generation ago, movies and television shows “would take us into the future” and paint an unimaginable picture of a world with flying cars and robots. So magnificent it was, she said, that as persons stared at these images on the screen, they dared to wonder if they would live to see inventions such as those.

She said that in today’s world, those futuristic depictions are now “part of our reality [as] we live in a world where Artificial Intelligence, robotics, Virtual Reality and 3D Printing are things that are quickly becoming everyday necessities.”
“What a time it is to be alive!” Minister Hughes exclaimed.

She noted that the observance of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day should not be taken lightly. “It seeks to remind us that ICTs play a steadfast role in the development of our societies and economies and brings attention to ways in which we can bridge the digital divide in our own countries,” she said.

Hughes said that after the ministry’s establishment in 2015, government sought to revamp and execute a national eGovernment Strategy “aimed at not only digitising government services, but also bridging the digital divide among our people.”

“It is along this thrust that we have connected primary, secondary and tertiary institutions all across Guyana; distributed laptops to thousands of our teachers and established close to 200 ICT hubs in remote communities countrywide. Initiatives in e-health, e-security and e-education will soon become a reality in Guyana as well, said the minister.

She noted too that the government has introduced the distribution of tablets to various persons in society to enable easier communication and promote social distancing at this crucial time, saying, “These initiatives are testimony to government’s commitment to ensuring that we are not left behind as the world undergoes its own rapid digital transformation,” she said.

Through this ITU observance, Hughes said, the Connect 2030 Agenda aims at highlighting the collective global goal of developing the ICT sector with a focus on Growth, Inclusiveness, Sustainability, Innovation and Partnership. “And even as this remains a task for institutions and governments all over the world, I urge that our people also think of ways in which they can participate in this global cause. After all, while institutions can serve as catalysts for such development, advancements in technology oftentimes are birthed from the hearts, minds and brains of the ordinary man,” she said.