THE advances in Information Communication Technology (ICT) touch almost every sector and aspect of life and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said taking definitive steps to further advance it in Guyana and the Caribbean is another move towards socio-economic development. He made the observation yesterday, at a national consultation on the draft Regional Digital Development Strategy (RDDS), which took a year in the making and was developed with the assistance of all CARICOM member States in a massive process.
The States have since been engaged, over the last four months, to inform the implementation plan and Guyana is the 16th country to be involved.
The forum yesterday was also intended to make Caribbean Community (CARICOM) citizens aware of the draft and its relevance to advancing the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and other regional imperatives.      
The engagement, at Regency Suites Hotel, on Hadfield Street, Stabroek, Georgetown, saw the participation of several Government officials, including Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon; Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud; Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, Minister in the Finance Ministry Jennifer Webster and  Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali.
Others in attendance were from both the Private and Public sectors, University of Guyana, Guyana Defence Force (GDF),  Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the Labour Movement.
The Regional framework strategy and action plan makes broad recommendations for ICT impact on socio-economic issues.
Mr. Hinds reminded them that advancements in ICT are rapidly occurring each day, making the digital divides, between developed and developing countries, greater.
He emphasised that the digital divides prove a challenge, of being left behind, for developing countries with small and emerging economies, when it comes to remaining relevant at the level of global markets.
“The Regional Digital Development Strategy is a laudable effort,” Mr. Hinds remarked, noting the need for advancing ICT to be tackled at a regional, not only national level.
He said, in Guyana’s case, many moves have been made to propel the infusion of ICT into Guyanese society, citing the training of 2,000 teachers, investments by the Government in the new fibre optic cable, the liberalisation of the telecommunication sector and the recent launch of the One Laptop per Family Project (OLPF), all of which impact the enhancement of the socio-economic situation.

Partnerships
According to him, with a regional strategy, the experiences and strengths can be shared to enable each CARICOM member State to not have their people left behind in a digital age, expressly since the grouping is good for building partnerships.
Hinds said Guyana has recognised that, to fast track its evolution, it must harness the advancements in ICT and pointed out that, led by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, it has made continuing significant strides in relaying the advances made to the nation’s people.
CARICOM consultant on ICT and yesterday’s facilitator, Dr. Camella Rhone said the Strategy is a means to not only ensure the development of new industries but also enable and empower a nation’s people.
“With this consultation, we pull in everyone into the process,” she said.
Rhone said, in the quest, moves are already being made in health, security, education, tourism and agriculture, in terms of having new industries established and people empowered.
She said, once it gains momentum, the Strategy will take on new dimensions as it rolls out year after year, impacting all sections of society and improving the socio-economic reality of CARICOM member States.
The vision of the Strategy is an inclusive regional knowledge society, driving sustainable development and its mission is to use ICT and other appropriate technologies to leverage and deepen the Region’s cultural resources, through high speed networks and trained human resources, within good governance and sound operating partnership networks, in order to add social and economic value, for its benefit.

Objectives
The objectives of the RDDS are to:
• fully establish modern regional regulatory and open telecommunications
infrastructures with affordable networks, using converged technologies to provide
affordable and ubiquitous access;
• build a digital community culture and increase the value and volume of the
Region’s trained ICT workforce that can create, develop and use ICT to improve
lifestyle and otherwise add personal and economic value;
• manage and use ICT to demonstrate good governance and increase efficiency in
operations;
• establish a culture of innovation and quality and enable sustainable production of
regional digital goods and services, development of cultural industries and the
inclusion of local content in delivery of information and
• guide businesses and governments to use ICT for sustainable growth and support
social development objectives through partnerships that use networked 
technologies.