Workshops on emerging technologies yield positive feedback – Min. Hughes

─ Ministers, high-level technical officers introduced to concept of Exponential Technologies

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, August 23, 2018

In a recent mid-year interview with Public Telecommunications Minister, Catherine Hughes, it was disclosed that several Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) facilitated workshops on the importance of Exponential Technologies in small economies, hosted in June, generated positive feedback from both the public and private sectors.

The objective was to introduce Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Government Agencies and high-level technical officers for this relatively new concept.

Participants were privy to a wealth of information on these new and emerging technologies and how these can be incorporated in the efficient functioning of organisations.

The one-day workshop, which saw the participation of over 200 stakeholders from the private sector and civil society, was a golden opportunity said, Minister Hughes.

“That technology really opened our eyes and it was a great opportunity to see what’s happening in other parts of the world. The thinking is, we don’t want every individual to go online and do their own research as to where technology is taking us. So, we are actually reaching out to Guyanese society and sharing with them…what the possible applications for the Guyanese society are,” she noted.

Exponential technologies are highly modernised services such as telemedicine, digital manufacturing, robotics and artificial intelligence that help to resolve the challenges that governments encounter in developing economies and societies.

Minister Hughes reminded of government’s move towards achieving the digital economy. She believes that the more Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is incorporated in every sphere, the faster Guyana will be transformed.

Stacy Carmichael

Image: Keno George