Blairmont on the West Bank of the Berbice River in Region Five, and Black Bush Polder on the Corentyne Coast in Region Six are the most recent beneficiaries of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Hubs, bringing the total hubs to 119.
The ICT hubs were on Friday officially opened by Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes, who, speaking during the opening ceremony of the Black Bush Polder Hub, said it is a perfect example of public-private partnership.
She pointed out that young people in Guyana with access to ICTs are being
Students of the Joanna Primary School receiving their laptops from Chairman of the Yakusari Culture Centre, Mohabir Ramnauth, as Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes looks on.
afforded the same opportunities as those in developed countries. Access to the internet, the Minister underscored would improve the life of every Guyanese. She pointed to the numerous possibilities for entrepreneurship as just one example. The Public Telecommunications Minister said the ICT hub initiative augurs well for the education sector, allowing students to complete research in a safe and comfortable space.
She announced that, in a few weeks, Grade Six Assessment applications, curriculum guides and the CXC applications will be loaded on the computers in the ICT hubs.
At Blairmont, Minister Hughes explained to residents the administration’s vision of making available over 200 government services online, such as passport applications.
Speaking along similar lines, Chairman of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), Floyd Levi, said Government is not only providing the laptops and free wi-fi, but training.
He called on the management committees to ensure that every citizen, regardless of age, is given access to the hubs and computers.
The Centre houses the Black Bush Polder hub, while the Blairmont hub is housed at the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) office.
