THE Government of Guyana is working to incorporate the operations of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) into its massive E-Governance operations. On Friday last, Minister of State Joseph Harmon was apprised of the operations of the unit during a visit to its University of Guyana, Turkeyen, location.
During the visit, Minister Harmon was informed of the NDMA’s mandate as well as a number of challenges facing that authority.
General Manager Godfrey Proctor informed the minister that the NDMA has not had a board appointed in over two decades. He said this has severely hampered the work of the authority. He also pointed out that the NDMA which was set up to do training for the public sector has the capacity to do so. However, the authority has been underutilised for many years.
Minister Harmon gave Mr Proctor and the staff the assurances that Government, in its review of the Public Service ICT, will restore the NDMA and similar bodies so that they can play a meaningful role in his Administration’s E-Governance initiatives.
The minister surmised that the NDMA Act of 1983 provides the appropriate framework through which Government can address the ICT needs of the public sector. In this regard, he undertook to bring the NDMA and E-Government Project under a single administrative system. Minister Harmon further promised that a board of directors will be appointed to give guidance to the work of the NDMA.