ICT roadshow to visit Annai and Berbice

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DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Residents of Annai, Berbice and Georgetown will be treated to a roadshow aimed at building awareness on how the use of Information Communications Technology (ICT) can improve their lives.

The Ministry of Public Telecommunications is collaborating with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Digicel, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other stakeholders to host an updated version of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Roadshow.

The events are slated for July 9 to 14. “There is going to be a series of workshops, discussions and presentations talking about how ICT is going to enable the various sectors, whether government, private sector, stated production sectors, persons with disabilities, ICT for all. All of those issues are going to be discussed next week,” Ministerial Advisor Lance Hinds said.

“We will have a significant section on electronic and digital finance. We will talk about blockchain, the application of block and hear from companies that are doing it currently. There is a section on that. In that as well we will have local providers who will also show some of the work they are doing in that space.”

According to Coordinator Kevin Roopchand, the roadshow will also emphasise the use of technology in agriculture and delivery of government services.  “The topics include e-agriculture, 21^st-century government, ICT for persons with disabilities, cybersecurity, future casting and digital financial services. The greatest component of this roadshow is e-agriculture… the 9^th and 10^th July at the Arthur Chung Conference centre targets the policy makers mainly. We will be looking at e-agriculture strategy, e-agriculture plans and opportunities and challenges in general. The third day in Berbice will target farmers since Berbice is a major farming community.”

Career opportunities in ICT for youths will also be high on the agenda as local “techies” get to showcase and network in the area of apps development.

“This is in line with our overall aim to ensure that countries and citizens benefit from our presence. We want to create a world where no one gets left behind. We are supporting any and all initiatives designed to promote innovation in and adoption of ICT as an engine of all aspects for the Caribbean development.”

Main events will include an e-Agriculture forum, Youth Fair and an Open Day, as well as outreaches in East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six) and Annai, Upper Takatu- Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) on July 11 and 14, respectively. These visits will facilitate the discussions on the benefits of ICT in general and more specifically how ICT can help in the development of the communities.

The CTU is an intergovernmental organization which provides advice to regional governments and other stakeholders in terms of ICT policy and implementation and how it can be used for national development.

By: Kidackie Amserdam.