–Minister Hughes promises West Berbicians to look into matter

RESIDENTS of ten villages on the West Coast of Berbice applied for Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) landlines 13 years ago but to date are yet to receive that service.

The highly upset members of the communities between Numbers 2 and Number 10 Villages, a few miles west of Rosignol, on the West Bank Berbice, were given a welcome opportunity to vent their frustration over the neglect of the GT&T to Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, last Sunday when she visited the area and met with them.

Group spokesman, Mr. S. Harripersaud, AKA Trevor, complained bitterly about GT&T. “Minister, our villages are right here on the coastland; not in the hinterland. But GT&T skipped our villages, which have thousands of residents and big business places, and went on to provide landlines to other villages along the West Coast of Berbice.

“I personally complained to GTT, in writing, about this situation 13 years ago, and the GTT replied saying that they would address the issue shortly.

“That “shortly” is now 13 years and running.”

Minister Hughes, who expressed surprise at this complaint, assured the residents of an immediate intervention by herself on their behalf. She promised to talk to the CEO of GT&T this week to see what could be done to alleviate their situation.

She assured them also that within the next two to three months, the GTT’s monopoly will be broken; that other companies will be allowed in, and the consumer will be the beneficiary in a situation of a highly desired liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in Guyana.

She stressed: “I want to say to you, do not be despondent, because it is going to happen. By the end of August to early September, we expect to finish negotiations with GTT and then the monopoly will no longer exist.”

She also said that in the meantime, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications will introduce a community ICT Hub in close proximity to the villages so that residents, regardless of their age or profession, can access the Internet free of charge.

The minister’s visit to the villages in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) came a few weeks after overseeing the installation of several ICT Hubs in neighboring Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).

Addressing the residents, Minister Hughes said: “There is no doubt that higher levels of Internet penetration have a positive impact on the national economy and on the quality of lives of its citizens.

“What we started off doing, and what my Ministry is  trying to do, is to provide more and more government services, using the Internet and using computers. For example, applying for a passport, a driver’s licence, registering a business, sorting out NIS etc!

“If you live in Berbice, you don’t have to travel to Georgetown; the whole process will be done on a computer. No more long trips.”

She added that Internet connectivity also brings with it improved opportunities for business, for E-education, which is essentially utilising technology to virtually transport a teacher in a classroom in Georgetown live to an indigenous community via platforms like Skype.

Internet access allows government agencies to provide better health and other social services to citizens.

She reiterated that the mandate of her ministry is to create a knowledge-based ICT-enabled society in the shortest possible time, and that she will re-visit the area at the next earliest opportunity.