A second strategic planning workshop in developing the Belize National Information and Communication Technology is currently underway. The workshop seeks to develop a drive and a commitment toward a revolution that will shape national development through the advancement of ICT in Belize. Minister of the Public Service John Saldivar told us more.

John Saldivar – Minister of the Public Service

“We firmly believe that the use of technology can assist our government in achieving its development goals, whether it be economic, social, cultural and so what this workshop and what the strategic plan will do is outline the strategies to see how we can use ICT to achieve some of our economic and social development goals. This is the culmination of a very long process that we have been consulting for some time, we have some consultants in country that will put together a final product which will be the strategic plan and so we hope that within the next few weeks to have a plan that will be presented to cabinet and once it is endorsed by cabinet then we begin implementation.”

Adam Montserin is part of the consulting team in developing ICT for Belize. Montserin says the implementation of the strategy will help all aspects of the Belize economy including trade, culture and tourism.

Adam Montserin - Consultant

“So many other countries across the world have been able to do through the use of information and communication technologies. We are using a very consultative process. We are meeting with private and public sector agencies across Belize to get an idea from their perspective what needs to be addressed and what should be focused on in terms of the agenda and we also have a number of workshops that we have invited public and private sector agencies to generate ideas that will form the strategy for Belize. So coming out of it we would like to see strategies that would focus on for example, let us say crime, using car technology, things such as improving agriculture using technology, improving tourism and how we serve the visitors that come to Belize.”

Montserin says the team has conducted a survey for Belize and ICT in education is urgently needed. He emphasized that the strategy is a tremendous milestone in the country’s development.

LOVEFM

Government Going Digital

On Tuesday, April 26th, and Wednesday, April 27th, the ministry of Public Service held workshops and consultations on the plan to develop a National Information and Communication Technology system for the government of Belize.

The system is being developed through the ministry’s Governance Improvement Unit. The two day session is a follow up on the April 6th session in which several key objectives were completed. Participants learned of the importance of ICT for National Development. A national ICT system makes life much easier. Currently people have to travel to their district towns and maybe all the way to Belize City or Belmopan to complete certain transactions. A national ICT system will eliminate the need to travel and bring governance closer to home.

The workshops aim to give stakeholders an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Horizon 2030 framework that the National ICT Strategy must deliver on. There are also presentations on the vision and core values of the system as well as the process to unveil it. However the main purpose is to define the strategy that will move Belize from its current state to the 2016 Vision of a National ICT system.

National Information and Communication Technology Strategy is entitled “eBelize- Accelerating Development”

The Guardian