BRADES – Chief Minister Reuben T. Meade says he will champion the cause of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) on a regional level.
Speaking to Bernadette Lewis, Head of the CTU who visited the island this week to look at plans for hosting the ICT Roadshow in Montserrat, the chief minister said his government was committed to promoting the use of communications technology on all levels.
The CTU is commemorating 20 years of existence by hosting ICT Roadshows across the Caribbean. Roadshows have already been held in St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Belize, Curacao and Suriname. Montserrat is scheduled to host the next leg of the tour from April 21 to 23, 2010.
The CTU official commended the chief minister and Minister of Communications Charles Kirnon for their support of the initiative and for encouraging government departments to push the envelope on how information technology is deployed to improve the quality and access of services to the public.
Minister Kirnon said on Tuesday that the roadshow fits comfortably within the Communications Strategy that the Government of Montserrat is implementing, as a result of a consultancy with Dr. Annalee Babb of ACB Knowledge Consultants of Barbados.
“We want to see technology being used to move business forward. The CTU and the roadshows are helping to make the people of the Caribbean and Montserrat more aware of technology and how they can do business in the world. If we are to fit into the global village and survive, we have to come up to speed with how business is being done today,” Minister Kirnon said.
He added that the ICT Roadshow is coming at the right time as Montserrat has now liberalized its telecommunications infrastructure, which will create new opportunities for new players in the marketplace. This he said, can only benefit the people of Montserrat, with lower rates and wider access to technology that can make doing business easier and more affordable.
Montserrat liberalized its telecommunications market in 2009 and earlier this month passed the Electronic Transactions Act, which will allow for more services, financial and legal transaction to be done legally via telecommunications channels.
ENDS
Photo caption: Chief Minister Reuben T. Meade, Financial Secretary John Skerritt, Minister of Communications Charles Kirnon, meet with Bernadette Lewis and Bevil Wooding of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union. The CTU is celebration 20 years of existence by hosting ICT Roadshows across the Caribbean. Montserrat is scheduled to host the next leg of the roadshow from April 21 – 23, 2010.
