ICT conference aligns with Govt’s digital agenda – PM Phillips

Acting President, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, has said that the mission behind the third annual Technology Conference reflects an understanding that digital transformation is no longer optional or a concept of the past but a present requirement for competitiveness, resilience, and efficiency across almost every aspect of daily life.
“Therefore, this theme aligns closely with the direction the Government of Guyana has taken and continues to pursue under our Digital Guyana Agenda,” he said.
The Prime Minister (PM) made these remarks while addressing the third annual Technology Conference hosted by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the American Chamber of Commerce (Guyana) (AMCHAM) at the Guyana Marriott Hotel on Thursday.
Phillips added that the theme of this year’s conference, “Operational Excellence through Digital Transformation”, was timely and practical, noting that it speaks to how work should be done, services delivered, and decisions made in ways that create value and benefits for Guyana as a whole.
He noted that over the past years, the Government of Guyana has been steadily rolling out a national digital transformation agenda aimed at changing how the state operates and how citizens and businesses interact with public institutions.
He took the opportunity to also encourage the private sector to take advantage of Government efforts.
“… students, manufacturers and service providers in Guyana today are encouraged to take full advantage of the digital foundation that is being built by our Government. Automation, cloud computing, and enterprise resource planning systems can strengthen production processes, reduce errors, and optimise supply chains. Also, e-commerce and digital marketing platforms enable firms, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to expand their reach.”
He explained that the initiative is intended to make Government services faster, more transparent, more reliable, and more accessible, while reducing delays, cutting unnecessary procedures, and removing longstanding barriers that have historically made doing business more difficult than necessary.
“We have approached this transformation deliberately, introducing digital platforms across public agencies and replacing fragmented processes with integrated ICT,” Phillips underscored.
The PM emphasised that the Government’s strategy is designed to make business-Government interactions faster, more efficient, and more transparent. He noted that this foundation also benefits manufacturing and service firms by reducing bureaucratic hurdles. However, he stressed that the full benefits of this transformation can only be realised if the manufacturing and services sectors evolve alongside it.
According to Phillips, public systems and private operations must be able to communicate effectively. Data needs to move securely and efficiently across institutions and industries, and processes must align rather than conflict. He highlighted that this is why the Government’s investments in digital infrastructure and skills are national in scope and intent.
Connectivity, he added, is one of the most important foundations of digital transformation. Over the past several years, Guyana has expanded high-speed internet access nationwide, a development that has reached beyond urban centres and commercial hubs.