20 Hinterland communities to access online Govt Services by year end

─ being facilitated through the ICT Access and e-Services for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project

─ 20 pilot twenty facilities will provide a baseline for the project

─ implementation of virtual classrooms and telemedicine to be enhanced through this project

DPI, Guyana, Monday, February 11, 2019

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Access and e-Services for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project will see 20 hinterland communities being able to access government services online by the end of 2019.

This disclosure was made by the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman, Floyd Levi during a press briefing following the second board meeting for the project on Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

[In the photo, from left] UNDP Resident Representative (ag), Snr. Roberto Galvez, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes and NDMA Chairman, Floyd Levi.

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes.

Chairman of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), Floyd Levi.

“This project focuses on providing on government services, whether they be health, education, public security or citizenship services to residents who were not able to access the services in terms of where they live in the hinterland regions,” Levi explained.

Some of these include the government’s e-services including the filing of tax returns and applying for business compliance certificates. The project provided funding to begin the actual expansion of existing e-services to increase the number of services offered, such as agricultural services, tax information and certificates, bill and pension payments, and community fault reporting.

It was noted that the implementation of virtual classrooms and telemedicine would be enhanced via this project.

The first activity for the project – a basic needs assessment – has already been completed along with the terms of reference. Currently, equipment is being procured for the 29 communities.

According to Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, the project was “in the making for over four years” and signalled the ministry’s commitment to continuously work along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“In the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, we are excited that our ICT Access and e-Services for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project is really going to transform the lives of members of our Indigenous communities, members of poor and rural communities who for the first time will be able to access information and communication services.”

It was highlighted that while the cost for the establishment of facilities in various communities will vary, the twenty pilot facilities will provide a baseline for the project.

This $3.6Billion (US$17M) project is being funded under the Guyana/Norway Agreement by the Guyana Redd+ International Fund (GRIF), and it will be managed by the United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP). To date, a total of $127.8M (US$608,000) being expended.

Anara Khan.

Images: Jules Gibson.