ICT4D Guyana Strategy - National Draft

Guyana’s National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Strategy is a plan to facilitate and ensure the dramatic increase of its social and economic wealth at all levels: individual, organizational and national. The Strategy is geared to leverage and enhance Guyana’s human resources, innovation, education, infrastructure and information technology to accelerate economic and social development.

The Strategy is designed to play a critical role in achieving Guyana's National Developmental Goals and in facilitating and promoting Guyana's prosperity and well being.

The Strategy is grounded in the vision of all Guyanese having the opportunity to fully participate in the information and knowledge society in order to accelerate national development and prosperity.
There can be no doubt that ICT increasingly influences each and every sphere of activity today, including: economic, employment, social services, such as health and education, and cultural development.
However, the "revolution of information" in Guyana has still not reached a great percentage of its population. Several factors account for this, mainly the lack of adequate infrastructure and a suitable enabling environment.
The Government recognizes that in order to accelerate the reduction of the digital divide in Guyana and to increase the accessibility levels to the Information Society, it is necessary to have a coordinated plan for effective development of ICT. The actions and activities should be realistic and flexible to local conditions and have the full support and institutional endorsement of the Government.
President Bharrat Jagdeo himself has directed the development and implementation of this Strategy and has appointed Mr. Robert Persaud,
Information Liaison to the President to coordinate the effort. This strategy is a broad and far-reaching effort that will provide tangible benefits for everyone within the country. It has been designed through a truly national process in a highly inclusive and transparent manner, involving active participation of hundreds of persons from the public and private sectors and civil society.
The first effort at crafting the Strategy was undertaken by a Group of ICT
Professionals established under the chairmanship of Mr. Persaud. The Group
was mandated to make submissions under relevant key thematic areas. Then on
March 28, 2006, a National ICT Workshop was held to discuss the thematic
areas. The result is this Strategy.