THE government’s re-activated e-governance project will encompass the creation of a data centre in the city which will hold most government applications.

Minister of Telecommunications and Tourism, Cathy Hughes, speaking at her first public engagement under the telecommunications portfolio, told those gathered at the opening of the Teleperformance call centre in the city on Friday that creation of the centre to network government agencies is the second aspect of the project.

“At the end of the day, the objective is to improve the quality of our social services to fight crime, to boost the standard of education, to promote digital literacy,[and] provide an ICT path,” Hughes said. She said the plan is part of government’s plan to generally foster development and a higher-based knowledge society.

According to the minister, activation of the e-governance programme increases government’s and the country’s capability to make Internet connectivity available to all citizens in the city, other parts of the coastland and inland communities. The E-Governance Unit is currently geared in this direction.

According to Hughes, after the preparatory work has been completed, a fibre-optic cable connecting Georgetown to Moleson Creek, Linden, Anna Regina, Linden and Lethem will be run. Wireless sites will be constructed and activated along these national corridors utilising 4G technology, aimed at providing connectivity to all of the socio-economic services and facilities across the country.

Hughes said that not only do few people know about the information super highway, “It is a new way of life, connectivity adds development,” she noted. The minister added that government unreservedly supports the position that access to the Internet and utilisation of ICT will aid its ability to develop critical services and provide effective cost-cutting support to all productive sectors. In addition, it will facilitate the development of ICT as a sustainable, highly profitable productive sector, she noted.

The multi-million-dollar e-governance project was rolled out under the previous administration with the aim of creating a network linking government and other State agencies throughout the country. The project hit controversy when the fibre-optic cable that was supposed to link the coastland to Brazil was scrapped as a result of technical faults.

In October last year, government commenced testing its pilot phase of the project through partnership with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) network. The company provided bandwidth coverage, and according to Advisor on E-Governance, Floyd Levi, GTT has given government a favourable price for the purchase of bulk bandwidth. He said plans are afoot to roll out services throughout all government agencies.