…Board yet to be appointed
…HP&RC Connectivity Project launched
Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes on Friday signed a Commencement Order formally establishing the National Telecommunications Agency (NTA). She noted that a Board would be later appointed for the entity.
The National Telecommunications Agency (NTA), a product of the Telecommunications Act of 2016, will be responsible for spectrum management and licensing of wireless communication service providers.
From left: NTA Consultant Andre Griffith, Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes, and NDMA Chairman Floyd Levi
Minister Hughes on Monday noted that the Public Telecommunications Ministry would have spent the last 18-20 months offsetting preparations for the agency.
“The objective of establishing the agency now is to give us time to put in place certain administrative arrangements that (are) necessary for the agency to function effectively when the entire act is brought into force. Some of the things the agency needs to put in place are its internal government arrangement — such as financial regulations, human resource policy, rules of procedure of the board. The administrative procedure to facilitate the implementation of the legal provisions for licensing, monitoring, enforcement, and other responsibilities that are specified for the agency in the 2016 Act and in the regulations,” the minister noted.
The National Telecommunications Agency would also absorb the functions of the National Frequency Management Unit when fully established, and Minister Hughes noted that the board would have to begin the employees’ transition phase. She added that she does not foresee any retrenching of staffers.
Meanwhile, Consultant for the establishing of the Agency, Andre Griffith, noted that the order signed last Friday establishes the agency as a body corporate, and the agency would have begun the preparatory work for the policies. He noted that those polices would have to be assented to by a board, which is yet to be established.
“The functions of the agency are to be discharged by a Board, and that Board is authorized to regulate its own procedure. A lot of the preparatory work we have done is subject to the Board’s review, and (members of the board) would want to look at it, refine it, amend it,” he noted.
“We have the National Frequency Management Unit which regulates the spectrum, and the Act requires that Unit be dissolved. There are certain provisions for the transferring of the staff to the Telecommunication Agency, and that can only be done by the Board,” Griffith added.
HP&RC Connectivity Project
Minister Hughes also used the opportunity to launch the National Data Management Authority’s Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities’ Connectivity Project, noting that it is designed to bridge the gap between the coast and the hinterland, thus ensuring that citizens in remote communities have access to the same services, facilities and Internet connectivity that exists on the coastland.
She noted that it is a vital part of the process of transforming Guyana into a smarter digital nation, with Internet-savvy citizens who can benefit from all of the new technologies.
NDMA Chairman Floyd Levi noted that the project commenced on December 1, 2017, but preparations would have already begun prior to the commencement. Levi also stated that the project is expected to run for 5 years, and targets the establishment of 200 ICT Hubs in hinterland, poor and remote communities.
Levi explained that the ultimate goal of the project is to enhance the sustainable development of the hinterland, poor and remote communities, while promoting the development of a national green economy. He added that the project focuses on three pillars, namely: policy development, access to ICT and government services, and information and capacity development.
The project is funded by the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to a tune of US$17 million.
It is anticipated to impact 90 percent of the hinterland, poor and remote communities served, targeting over 580,000 citizens.
