ICT can end ‘extremely exhausting’ process of doing business – Cathy Hughes

The country’s Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes Wednesday said the Government is forging ahead with plans to introduce Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in all aspects of doing business in Guyana.

Speaking at an event on exponential technologies, Minister Hughes made the point that access to the internet and broadband connectivity is now considered a human right. In this regard, she said the Government is keen on transitioning to a digital economy.

She said this was important to development and used an example of someone having to go to multiple government offices to transact business.

“Think of overseas investors who are extremely exhausted,” she reasoned.

At the event held at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, heads of Government agencies and senior officials who will be responsible for implementing the Government’s digitization, E-gov and technology initiatives, were introduced to the concept of Exponential Technologies and its application to the development of small economies such as Guyana.

Minister Hughes noted the Government’s push to have a range of services online by the end of next year.

She repeated an earlier commitment that by the end of next year, citizens would be able to transact about 100 Government services online.

Hughes noted that these services would include applying for a driver’s license, business registration and passports.

“All of these services are going to be done online,” she stated.

She said that over 150 high schools have been connected to the internet and this is being done in primary schools as well.

Last Friday, Hughes opened the 119^th ICT hub in the country.

“The more we include ICT in the way we transact our businesses – the way we service our communities and citizens – the better and the faster we are going to be able to transform Guyana,” she stated.