Prime Minister, Mark Phillips has given the directive for the commencement of the installation of equipment for the establishment of 200 fully-functioning Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hubs under the ICT Access and eServices for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the establishment of these hubs is especially important, given the need for remote forms of communication in light of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Prime Minister Phillips’ directive was made during a meeting with representatives from the United Nations, the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), the World Bank, the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) and the ICT Access and eServices for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project at the Office of the Prime Minister.
The project is a joint initiative between the UNDP and the Government of Guyana and is also funded by the UNDP. The Project Management team was established in January 2019, and since then, 70 communities have been equipped with very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) satellites which provide Wi-Fi to those locations.
Prime Minister Phillips’ instruction will ensure that equipment is installed in all 200 communities in the near future and that these locations are also outfitted with the necessary infrastructure to make them fully functioning ICT Hubs. The Prime Minister stated that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens are still expecting the timely delivery of services, as such, work cannot be held at a standstill. Representatives from the UNDP as well as the ICT Access and eServices for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project expressed their commitment to having the project move forward efficiently.
