Technology will move Guyana forward – Min. Hughes

― Uitvlugt residents commend govt

― online applications for basic services soon coming

― school children to receive electronic tablets with E-Textbooks installed

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, November 14, 2019

The government is continuing its community engagements around the county, and the latest stop was at Uitvlugt Secondary School on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), where Minister of Public Telecommunications, Hon. Catherine Hughes assured residents that technology will move Guyana forward.

Her remarks come on the heels of several primary and secondary schools receiving free access to the internet, which is believed to be a contributing factor to the remarkable improvements in the education sector.

The minister wasted no time in pointing out her ministry’s plans for the further development of the people of Guyana.

“In two years-time, every primary and secondary school child will receive an electronic tablet with electronic textbooks downloaded on them so there will be no need for heavy book bags. All the students will have equal access to information from the E-Textbooks so parents would not have to wonder how they will purchase books or how far they have to travel to buy a textbook,” Minister Hughes remarked. 

The Public Telecommunications Minister further relayed that her ministry is currently working on putting all government services online so that persons can be served from the comfort of their homes or wherever they choose.

“The forms for many government services are already online, and currently you can download the forms, print them out, fill them up and then take them to the respective ministries or agencies. We are currently working on our online services, and we will soon be facilitating the online filling up of these forms and the online submission of these forms. We are going to reduce the long lines at ministries and agencies. We are going to cut out the transportation cost to get to ministries and agencies. We are going digital with everything. So even if it is to apply for your pension, your TIN certificate, your driver’s license or whatever service you require, we are going to have it available online. Technology is taking control and we must keep abreast,” Minister Hughes explained.

At the well-attended public meeting, Minister Hughes also informed the residents that a number of crimes were solved by the many CCTV cameras that are installed in and around Georgetown. She said that soon the entire coastland of Guyana will have CCTV cameras which will assist the police greatly and aid in the reduction of crime.

When the floor was open for questions and comments at the community engagement, residents commended the government for their remarkable work; from the increase in old-age pension, increase in public assistance, better roads in communities, lighting up of communities, reduction in crime, increases in salaries and wages to fixing infrastructure, bettering the health care system, improving the education sector and focusing on tourism.

More community engagements will continue in the riverine communities of Region 3 on Sunday, November 17.

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