Mansoor Dishes Tech Plans for 2012

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Tuesday, 20 December 2011 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St John's - Come 2012, Antigua & Barbuda stands to be one of the only Caribbean countries to offer 4th Generation (4G) technology, with the further liberalisation of the telecommunications sector and the expiration of LIME's monopoly.

Telecommunications Minister Dr Edmond Mansoor made this disclosure on Monday in the Upper House as he provided a synopsis of his ministry’s expectations for the coming year.

He said his ministry would focus on technology for small and micro-enterprises (SME). The government will be targetting about 125 SMEs, including the development of a website and an online business directory.

“We are producing a series which will be called Technology Today, which will be aired on ABS, and which will also be available on the government website," he said. "And we will also help to train these individuals in the fundamentals of IT, as well as web-based marketing."

The minister declared 2012 the "year of electronic government," as it would see accelerated efforts to develop sustainable eGovernment initiatives.

“We will use new technologies to modernize key areas of government operations, particularly those that have a direct and continuous interaction with the public,” he said.

The expansion would be advanced through 4G broadband to be deployed in the top 150 locations where the government is providing services to the public.

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“Antigua is moving onwards and upwards,” Dr Mansoor said.

The expanded use of technology in the processing of citizenship and passport applications is also planned. With respect to the civil registry, the minister said the government has already begun automation, through a project with the Organization of American States (OAS) that is about 60 percent compete. This initiative will see the digitization of all birth, marriage, and death records that will be available online through application.

A pilot study has also been introduced in the digitization of passport and citizenship applications. Dr Mansoor said this is an area where the government believes electronic governance should really be brought to the fore.


Further, in 2012, the government will look to introduce an ICT cadet programme for 75 people who will be enrolled in an intense one-year on-the-job ICT training programme tailored to assist them to move to a path of self-entrepreneurship. It will include computer diagnosis and networking, new media, and community technology. It is expected that 125 individuals would be trained over a two-year period.

“We will put them almost into an ICT boot camp, and the intention is that at the exit point, they should be able to get out there and get going on their own,” the minister said.

Moreover, in 2012, Antigua should see an ICT Center of Excellence set up for special needs individuals, both young and old. The government is partnering with several private sector entities to build and operate the centre that will cater to physically, visually, and otherwise challenged individuals.

The New Year will also see the beginning of an aggressive programme of hardware upgrades in several government operations, including the ministries of National Security, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Tourism, and Education, and the Office of the Prime Minister.

Dr Mansoor said, “My submission is that out of challenges should come opportunity." He noted that Antigua & Barbuda has done well considering the economic challenges, and in comparison to how other nations in the region fared in the same and similar climate.


According to the minister, fiscal discipline is what separates the UPP administration from the ALP, and Budget 2012 represents the most serious manifestation of that discipline.

“I am confident the fiscal discipline that is embodied in Budget 2012 will hold Antigua & Barbuda together in a good way... In a steadfast way for the years to come,” he said.

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