BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, September 27, 2018 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – As the five-day observation of ICT Week – St. Kitts and Nevis continues with activities at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Education, the Honourable Shawn Richards, has indicated that the Team Unity-led administration has taken considerable steps towards adopting a 21st Century Government approach, including the employment of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs).
The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) defines a 21st Century Government as being characterized by citizen-centric, seamless, open, interactive and efficient processes and says it makes “effective use of information and communication technologies to deliver services to its citizens, internal and external clients.”
Observing that technology, like education, is a great equalizer of opportunity, Acting Prime Minister Richards said the Team Unity Government has maximized the use of ICTs that has resulted in other countries in the region looking toward the progress of the St. Kitts and Nevis Government as a model.
“In November 2016, the Attorney General accepted two awards on behalf of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis for outstanding improvements in ICT development during the 14th World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium. In 2016, St. Kitts and Nevis climbed a remarkable 20 spots on the International Telecommunication Union’s ICT Development Index – by far the most improved country,” the minister said, while addressing the opening ceremony for ICT Week – St. Kitts and Nevis on Tuesday, September 25, at Government House.
ICT Week – St. Kitts and Nevis, which runs from September 24-28, is being observed under the theme, 21st Century Government – Enhancing Connections, Accelerating Progress.
Among the events held to commemorate the week include the statutory meetings of the CTU’s Executive Council and General Conference of Ministers, as well as the 17th Caribbean Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminar, which focused on critical issues, as well as key developments and trends in information communications technology (ICT).
In relation to St. Kitts and Nevis, Acting Prime Minister Richards indicated that the Federation ranks #37 out of 176 countries listed on the ICT Development Index for the year 2017, making it the best ranked country in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Additionally, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis successfully rolled out a number of mobile applications (apps), including one for the public to access news and information from the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS), while the Ministry of National Security introduced a multi-million-dollar Motorola radio project featuring GPS tracking capabilities as part of the overall crime reduction strategy in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Acting Prime Minister Richards emphasized that the St. Kitts and Nevis Government has been working closely with Amazon Web Services—a leader in the cloud computing market.
“The Government has been in discussions with Amazon Web Services about ICT in education and healthcare delivery, and also concerning cyber security in the public sector and innovation in disaster preparedness,” he said, while noting that “We are therefore moving briskly towards 21st Century Government and the possibilities are endless.”
ICT Week – St. Kitts and Nevis continues on Friday (September 28) with Amazon Web Services Workshop and a workshop for persons living with disabilities.
The Honourable Shawn Richards, who is Deputy Prime Minister, is presently Acting Prime Minister, while Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy is attending the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.