Think outside of the box for change – Cathy Hughes

Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes says that there is so much that Guyana can achieve in the information technology sector, if only there is some level of open-mindedness and thinking outside the box.
Hughes, who recently returned from a Telecommunications Summit in China, said at a press conference on Friday that Guyana is on the verge of seeing major changes within the sector. Government is seeking to get out with the old and introduce new and innovative ways of improving the lives of every citizen as much as technology itself improves:
“It is absolutely clear that as a country we need to think outside the box, and I am excited because it is absolutely clear also that technology and with the proper education and training, we can really push the development of our country forward.”
Hughes said there is really no room for the use of the word “potential”, as the ministry is committed to making fundamental changes.

Speaking to the telecoms industry, Hughes admitted that there have been some major challenges…it was in such a poor state that it took new legislations to open up that environment. For now, Government is working on improving the quality of internet access from as far as Moleson Creek in Berbice to as far as hinterland communities and other far to reach areas across Guyana:
“I just want to say to you that we have started to create an environment where competition can come in and once there is competition you know there is better service and of course at a better price.”
She spoke of the E-Government unit, which she described as a fundamental part of the telecommunications department, that has already began working on ensuring that the fibre link be re-established for the provision of internet access to far flung areas. During her recent trip to China, she was able to meet with the company Huawei, which built and installed the link and is now speaking with the company about expansion into the hinterland and other unserved areas.
“That is the fundamental of the platform of the many things we think this Ministry can do,” she said.
The minister spoke of the setting up of some 32 hubs to facilitate what she said are “telemedicine”. The hubs would be in strategic areas, providing free internet service to the community. She said her ministry is also seeking to renovate some offices within some post offices to have the service installed. Her ministry has already budgeted for these hubs:
“Once we can bring the internet services to at least some community centres and some schools, I think it will give us the opportunity to deal with several of the problems that exist today” she said.
The idea is not only to assist in the health sector, but also in the education sector for students in far flung areas. Minister Hughes said that a subject teacher in a school on the Coastland, could, through the initiative, assist in teaching a class of students who do not have a teacher for that subject.
“What we’re trying to say, that it is absolutely clear, that once there is increased interconnectivity, once there is increased access to the internet, to information, to learning, then all the worldwide statistics show that there is a corresponding increase in the level of developments in countries.”
Hughes went on to speak about the possibilities of improvement within the Ministry of Citizenship, particularly the access to passport services to other interior and other locations. She said through the technology, other services would be farmed out.
“Imagine we’re working towards the day where persons who are seeking to have their driver licences renewed, don’t necessarily have to come all the way to Georgetown, not only would you have to download a passport form from the internet, but that you would be able to fill it in and send it back to the passport office. And just like you make an appointment to get your visa, then you can make an appointment to go the passport office to get the final stages of getting your passport in place”.
That, the minister said, is among her and her ministry’s vision for the Information and Communication Sector (ICT) in Guyana.