Huawei gift benefitting Guyanese – Dr. Luncheon
…decries raft of media criticism of project
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon said yesterday that the gift from Chinese firm Huawei is benefiting Guyanese and that the implementation of the One Laptop per Family initiative continues, despite negative reporting from some quarters. Speaking at his post-Cabinet press briefing held at the Office of the President, Dr. Luncheon said that the denigration of this initiative by Stabroek News, among many others, is suggestive of reckless hostility.
“In its most recent diatribe, Stabroek News seeks to revisit matters fully ventilated and pronounced on by the administration in an uncharitable way. We all know that Huawei, the Chinese firm, is a top-ranking international firm in its own field,” he said.
According to the HPS, Huawei has been engaged with the Government of Guyana for quite some time now in delivering on the government’s ICT strategy, particularly in the area of improving bandwidth and making accessible to Guyanese access to computer technology.
“Their engagement with the Government of Guyana has long ante-dated the conception of the OLPF,” he said. “The gift [of US$50,000] from Huawei has resulted in the provision of technology to beneficiaries in the three counties of Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice. The Administration feels that Stabroek News’ attempt to discredit the initiative and to generate doubts about its motives and objectives will, number one, not deter Guyanese or the Administration from supporting the successful implementation of the initiative. Number two, further, we feel it would expose Stabroek News…for their entrenched and increasingly noticeable hostility to the PPP/C Administration and criticisms for their insensitivities to class interests,” the HPS said.
The money from Huawei facilitated the purchase of a number of notebooks that were distributed to youth groups and other bodies from across the country at the launch of the OLPF.
Dr. Luncheon said that persons are responding to the invitation to participate either as beneficiaries, as hub providers, or as trainers for this initiative.
“The roll out plan is expected to see laptops being supplied to about 50,000 eligible families in 2011, beginning by mid-June to July of this year,” he said.
He said that the full total of over 90,000 families would be met over the three years of project implementation. According to Dr. Luncheon, Huawei’s engagement with government started some time back in 2009.