$1.6B spent on advancement of ICT sector for first half of 2023

In an ever-evolving era of technological advancement, the Government of Guyana is determined to stay abreast of these changes and enhance its services to meet the needs of its citizens.

To this end, the sum of $1.6 billion was spent during the first six months of 2023 to develop the nation’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

The Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report highlighted that the government trained some 627 persons in ICT at various levels of proficiency, where they learned the basics of computers, navigating the internet, and performing office tasks using the Microsoft Office suite.

Commendably, a total of 573 persons are on the government radar to be trained by year-end.

To date, several ICT hubs have been constructed and made operationlised in many of the hinterland communities. These hubs are being equipped with computers and free WiFiGY access.

Additionally, some 2,500 students are benefitting from the Guyana Coders Initiative – a flagship programme launched earlier in 2023 by the government in partnership with the United Arab Emirates period. The aim is to train at least 150,000 Guyanese in the fundamentals of computer coding over three years.

Upon completion, these students will receive a certificate and are primed to continue their pursuit of a career based in an ever-digitising workspace.

It must be noted that visually impaired persons have also received ICT training through the job access with speech (JAWS) software, to equip them with IT skills to compete in the labour market.

Meanwhile, the government also began the implementation of the national electronic identification system (eID). This ISO-certified International Civil Aviation Organisation accepted card system is a robust one as it will facilitate the integration of identification services across the public and private sectors.

It is deemed to support resident identification, enable the utilisation of fingerprint verification and validation of individuals, as well as facilitate the issuance of work permits.

The major investment in this sector provided by the Ministry of Finance is aimed at creating efficiency, bringing ease to the business world, and most importantly opening up opportunities for persons in far-stretched regions.