WELCOME BY MR. ROBERT PERSAUD


WELCOME BY MR. ROBERT PERSAUD, CO-ORDINATOR, ICT4D STRATEGY A modern Guyana beckons. The modern State we envisage depends on our people’s ability to harness and take full advantage of the benefits of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). A true measure of a modern country is no longer only its glittering physical infrastructure and metropolis or its sophisticated military hardware, but the advanced state of its ICT sector. The Guyana National Development Strategy and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, both generated by Guyanese after wide consultations, have underscored the promise ICT holds for Guyana’s overall development. In November 2005, the United Nations World Summit on Information Society declared ICT as sine qua non for countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. There is a budding ICT sector in Guyana. Aspects of the government’s operations are now carried out through the application of ICT. The private sector has been employing ICT to enhance productivity and production and ultimately, more profits. IT is now part of our school curriculum. Along our coast, there is about 100 private computer science centres/classes. Importantly, new investment and job creation activities are being created through ICT such as call centres, Internet-cafes, and IT supply and support service enterprises. We are only touching the tip of the proverbial iceberg. ICT can be used to further improve the delivery of social services, especially education and health, and provide reliable and affordable telecommunications services, and yes, create thousands of new jobs for our young people. There is so much unchartered ICT territory for Guyanese to cover. The emergence of ICT in Guyana has been without any national roadmap or strategy. We know of the earlier efforts to develop an ICT sector being jeopardised by factors outside the control of the Government and people of Guyana. We know that there will be hurdles to overcome. We know too that Guyana must do what is necessary to fulfill our ICT destiny. The President of Guyana, in his New Year’s address to the nation, declared that an ICT Strategy will be launched as part of his vision of building a modern Guyana. That has become the clarion call for action to realise Guyana’s ICT potential at the earliest opportunity. During the past several months, the Office of the President has held a series of discussions with various private and public professionals on the crafting of a national ICT strategy. The UNDP has also responded by providing a short-term consultant to work on this initiative. His Excellency himself has been close to the effort, emphasizing the sense of urgency and offering guidance as we move forward. The President desires a national ICT strategy to be reflective of the views and aspirations of our people and for this reason he is hosting this event - the Guyana ICT Workshop. Your feed back shows that we are a people ready to contribute our efforts and resolve to create a realistic national ICT Strategy for us to become an ICT giant in our region. I invite you to be updated on development of ICT in Guyana and be part of this exciting ICT journey. BACK

WELCOME BY MR. ROBERT PERSAUD,
CO-ORDINATOR, ICT4D STRATEGY

A modern Guyana beckons. The modern State we envisage depends on our people’s ability to harness and take full advantage of the benefits of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). A true measure of a modern country is no longer only its glittering physical infrastructure and metropolis or its sophisticated military hardware, but the advanced state of its ICT sector.

The Guyana National Development Strategy and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, both generated by Guyanese after wide consultations, have underscored the promise ICT holds for Guyana’s overall development. In November 2005, the United Nations World Summit on Information Society declared ICT as sine qua non for countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

There is a budding ICT sector in Guyana. Aspects of the government’s operations are now carried out through the application of ICT. The private sector has been employing ICT to enhance productivity and production and ultimately, more profits. IT is now part of our school curriculum. Along our coast, there is about 100 private computer science centres/classes. Importantly, new investment and job creation activities are being created through ICT such as call centres, Internet-cafes, and IT supply and support service enterprises.

We are only touching the tip of the proverbial iceberg. ICT can be used to further improve the delivery of social services, especially education and health, and provide reliable and affordable telecommunications services, and yes, create thousands of new jobs for our young people. There is so much unchartered ICT territory for Guyanese to cover.

The emergence of ICT in Guyana has been without any national roadmap or strategy. We know of the earlier efforts to develop an ICT sector being jeopardised by factors outside the control of the Government and people of Guyana. We know that there will be hurdles to overcome. We know too that Guyana must do what is necessary to fulfill our ICT destiny.

The President of Guyana, in his New Year’s address to the nation, declared that an ICT Strategy will be launched as part of his vision of building a modern Guyana. That has become the clarion call for action to realise Guyana’s ICT potential at the earliest opportunity.

During the past several months, the Office of the President has held a series of discussions with various private and public professionals on the crafting of a national ICT strategy. The UNDP has also responded by providing a short-term consultant to work on this initiative. His Excellency himself has been close to the effort, emphasizing the sense of urgency and offering guidance as we move forward.

The President desires a national ICT strategy to be reflective of the views and aspirations of our people and for this reason he is hosting this event - the Guyana ICT Workshop.

Your feed back shows that we are a people ready to contribute our efforts and resolve to create a realistic national ICT Strategy for us to become an ICT giant in our region.

I invite you to be updated on development of ICT in Guyana and be part of this exciting ICT journey.

BACK