GUYANA is one step closer to bridging the digital divide with a total of $2.3B approved for the Public Telecommunications Ministry.At the level of the Committee of Supply, Minister of Public Telecommunications Catherine Hughes said the sector will undergo significant transformation in 2017 pointing out that $314M has been earmarked for the E-Government Project.

This project, she explained, includes the procurement of internet access points for government buildings and public internet access points at a cost of $114.6M. Additionally, the Public Telecommunication Ministry will secure the E-Government Network Infrastructure and simultaneously procure remote security solutions including motion sensors and CCTV cameras at a cost of $73M.

Approximately $64.2M has been allocated for the expansion of the E-Governance Network to Diamond, Timehri and Amelia’s Ward. She said already 22 ministries and agencies have been linked to the E-Government Network. These include the Ministries Public Telecommunication, Finance, Public Health, Social Protection, Public Security, Agriculture, Legal Affairs, Indigenous People’s Affairs, Foreign Affairs and the Presidency, in addition to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), the Public Buildings and Police Headquarters.

All Ministries and Government agencies are expected to be connected to the network by 2017.
In response to a question posed by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament, Bishop Juan Edghill, Minister Hughes explained that Government will purchase 1 Gigabit per second from GTT at the cost of US$145 per MB. Additionally, it was noted that the Government will acquire bandwidth for redistribution to Government agencies, the public internet access points and Information Communication Technology (ITC) hubs across the country from GTT at a cost of $426.5M.

Using $19.3M it will connect six hinterland and remote sites using a privately circuit network from Digicel. Those sites are located in Linden, Bartica, Mahdia, Port Kaituma, Mabaruma and Kwakwani. Additionally, seven hinterland and remote sites will be connected via a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) using a C Band satellite system. This project will cost the Government $79M. Minister Hughes further disclosed that $25M will be used to procure software for the Ministry’s email, data storage and backup system while $10.5M will be used for the design and maintenance of the Ministry of the Presidency’s network infrastructure.

Additionally, the minister disclosed that an IT Centre of Excellence will be established to the tune of $130M while $15M will be used for the payment of a consultant who will assist in formulating four pieces of legislation that will be placed before the House in 2017. The legislation will be based on electronic transaction, data protection, intellectual property rights and electronic filing.

The Public Telecommunications Minister told the House too that her ministry will be expediting payments of Subsidies and Contributions to International Organisations because the country has been behind on its obligation. “We found that in most of these agencies we were behind in about 8 to 10 years in the payment of our dues and therefore what we have tried to do is come up with a settlement,” Minister Hughes told the Committee, while noting that in addition to paying the current dues, Guyana will now pay one year of arrears. As such, the allocation for this line item has been increased from $17M in 2016 to $28M in 2017.