Guyana undergoing tremendous digital transformation

By Kesi Henry

Guyana’s developmental agenda features a steadfast commitment to incorporating technology into everyday life for greater efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy while boosting generation capacity, and ensuring ample access to technology nationwide.

These key responsibilities fall under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), spearheaded by Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips.

From August 2023 to date, much has been achieved in these areas, as the government amplifies its manifesto promises to achieve more reliable electricity, promoting information and communications technology (ICT) across Guyana, and enhancing the telecommunications sector.

More than 1500 persons have been trained in ICT through OPM’s Industry and Innovations Unit.

Added to this, the Guyanese Girls Code programme is also ongoing in several regions, engaging young ladies aged 12 and over in various ICT elements, including coding/ programming, robotics, micro bit, and introduction to the development of video games.

A key aim of the programme is to address and combat gender discrepancy in the ICT sector, while simultaneously creating and solidifying ICT skills in the young female population.

Media and communications

In April, the government commenced the third installment of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Media and Communications Academy, aimed at upskilling and further professionalising the local media industry for the evolving socioeconomic landscape.

It is also geared towards increasing the capacity of media workers in the private and public sectors, assisting passionate writers and communicators in kickstarting or advancing their careers, by providing training sessions to upskill and equip them with professional practices needed in the media industry.

The participants were instructed through courses in speech writing, news presentation, feature writing, social media and marketing, documentary making, filmmaking, and print journalism, among others.

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, has said in order to strengthen the sector, fresh minds and perspectives are needed to demonstrate proficiency in effective and precise communication.

“Each of our sectors and institutions needs to be actively engaged in efforts and interventions to expand our horizons, recruit new and fresh talents, and build capacities to enable this process of realignment,” he said.

In May, Jamaica’s Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information, Robert Nesta Morgan, visited Guyana to advance bilateral cooperation in the information and communication arena.

This visit saw several fruitful discussions, and culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation on media, mass communication, and public affairs.

The Jamaican minister emphasised the importance of collaboration to combat misinformation and disinformation, saying that the MoU’s effect will be twofold – advancing this effort and fortifying the relationship between Guyana and Jamaica,

“We do expect that from time-to-time different groups from Guyana and Jamaica will travel back and forth between each other’s countries to learn,” the Jamaican minister posited.

Energy advancement

The 2024 budget allocated some $95.7 billion for the energy sector in 2024.

Over the past year, the government has also redoubled its efforts to implement a comprehensive plan for immediate and long-term solutions to the country’s electricity problems.

Guyana’s power grid has faced strain due to technical skill shortages, rising demand, and ageing infrastructure, leading to recurrent disruptions.

In April, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), signed a multi-million-dollar contract with Urbacon Concessions Investments, W.L.L (UCI), a subsidiary of UCC Holdings in Qatar, in collaboration with Karpowership International to rent a ship for two years.

The floating power plant arrived in Georgetown in May and was docked at Everton, East Bank Berbice in Region Six, and eventually connected to the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS).

In addition to this, some US$27 million has been expended to enhance GPL’s capacity through the procurement of 17 generators, which add another 30 megawatts to the national grid.

A critical aspect of the plan involves a massive upgrade of the distribution and transmission lines. These improvements will enable them to handle a larger volume of electricity, reducing the risk of outages.

The government is also exploring financing options with UK Export Finance (UKEF) to complete new transmission lines to Linden, and simultaneously executing projects to ensure the existing equipment can meet peak capacity.

GPL has already extended tenders for works totalling approximately $200 million to upgrade the grid.

This is expected to promote a more stable distribution system.

A $5 million contract has been awarded for upgrades to transmission lines from Kingston to Sophia.

Supporting solar energy

As part of its commitment to empowering indigenous communities countrywide with reliable access to solar-powered electricity, the government launched its Solar Home Systems project.

Under this initiative, the administration acquired 30,000 solar home system units to distribute to each household in hinterland, rural, and riverine communities, to bridge the energy divide.

Each unit comprises a 165-watt solar panel, a 12-volt battery, two LED lights, and a 112-volt fan, among other basic fittings.

To date, over 26,000 systems have been delivered to families in the various indigenous communities.

The initiative is only one element of a wider energy matrix that aims to decouple Guyana’s economic growth from its reliance on fossil fuels while putting in place the enabling infrastructure to meet the growing energy demand.

The nation’s energy mix is evolving with the addition of hydropower, natural gas, and solar power to the grid.

This shift towards renewable energy is complemented by a 300-megawatt gas plant, grid enhancements, the Amaila Falls Hydropower project, and solar and wind energy developments.

In March, the government signed a US $38 million contract between the Guyana Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic (GUYSOL) and a Chinese company known as SUMEC to construct solar farms in Regions Two, Five, and Six.

The projects are being funded through the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund established by the government and managed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The initiative also empowers 50 women who are expected to benefit through solar photovoltaic (PV) training, as well as job opportunities and workforce development through an eight-month apprenticeship programme.

Several mini-grids have also been built in indigenous communities over the past year, including Baramita, Annai, Aishalton, and Karaudarnau.

PM Phillips has said, “Guyana continues to engage and work in partnership with multiple energy and cross-sector stakeholders to roll out clean and renewable energy initiatives, adapt to the challenges posed by climate change, and encourage sustainable, energy efficient lifestyles among Guyanese while building capacity to facilitate the requisite technical and regulatory support for effective clean energy transition.”

With these and other initiatives unfolding across the country, Guyana is poised to become a key player in the global push towards a transition to renewable energy.

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