130 ICT hubs constructed countrywide to date

A total of 130 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hubs have been built and equipped across the ten administrative regions to date, with more scheduled to be constructed within weeks.

This is according to Project Manager for the ICT Access and E-services for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities at the Office of the Prime Minister, Ronald Harsawack, during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Tuesday.

“In other communities across Regions One to Ten, we have completed close to 130 ICT hubs collectively, and within the next six months we are expected to complete the remaining 70,” Harsawack disclosed.

Speaking specifically about Region Nine, the project manager said ICT hubs were recently completed in the villages across North and South Central Rupununi, and are now working on building those in the deep South Rupununi.

He added that early next year the construction of hubs in North Pakaraimas will commence.  

Moreover, the new ICT hub managers training will pave the way for the roll out of a larger ICT programme to train some 8,000 people.

“These persons that are undergoing the ICT hub manager training, they will be the bridge between the Office of the Prime Minister and those community members in terms of helping us to roll out a larger programme across the country,” the project manager explained.

Harsawack said almost all of the hubs are being fully utilised by persons in the villages who are undergoing various training.

“So far, we have seen usage by a number of community members especially the Government Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) awardees who have been doing their online classes and Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), as well as University of Guyana (UG) students going through courses,” he noted.

The ICT hubs are powered by photovoltaic systems, equipped with 20 computers each, along with scanning and printing machines and free internet service.