BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Government’s thrust of developing Information Communication Technology in the Federation has received a boost as one of its three pillars is nearing completion.
The almost-completed pillar is an EC$1.3M ICT Centre at the C.A. Paul Southwell Industrial Site, which is being funded by the Federal Government in collaboration with the Republic of China on Taiwan, and is expected to be the hub of St. Kitts and Nevis’ internet communication.
On Wednesday (Jul. 13), several Government officials including Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris and Taiwan’s Resident Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis His Excellency George Gow Wei Chiou toured the facility to have a firsthand view of how the project is moving along.
Attorney General and Minister with Responsibility for Communication, the Hon. Vincent Byron Jr. explained to SKNVibes that the Government is happy with the way the project is being executed.
“This is going to be the common center-point of our ICT strategy. We had launched in February on the first anniversary of being in office of the Team Unity Government...the official website of the Government St. Kitts and Nevis; and you recall there were three limbs to that.”
The three limbs, Senator Byron explained, are the rebranding of St. Kitts and Nevis in the way it is viewed by the wider world; contents about the Government, country and the services that are on offer; and the new ICT Centre which is expected to be completed before the end of 2016.
“The people will eventually have the opportunity to communicate with us through e-Democracy, where they would be putting back to the various ministries and to the Government. For us it is very exciting and this Centre is the next stage of unfolding the way forward.”
Byron also explained that on completion, the ICT Centre would once again be used as the official home of the Information Technology Department, noting that technicians who fix, repair and install computers and networks would also be based at the facility. “I know they are scattered in different buildings, so we will bring them all under one roof,” he added.
According to a SKNIS report, the building would also be home to an Innovation Centre where people would be able to lease office space for the purpose of hosting conference calls and meetings as well as using technical equipment.
“But a big part of it, too, will be used for training of the public sector as well as the private sector. They can rent a room for training or have training organised for them. One of the things that we will be instituting for the very first time is a Cyber Incidence Response team,” the AG said.
Ambassador Chiou declared that on completion of the ICT Centre, the Taiwanese Government, through its Embassy in St. Kitts, would discuss with Senator Byron the next step forward relating to an ICT Cooperative Project.
The Ambassador noted that it would be of utmost importance, as the aim is to make the Federation’s e-Government infrastructure one of the best in the world.
According to SKNIS, the ICT Centre was opened in 2007 as a cooperative centre to provide training and to ensure that e-Government is well implemented. It served as a data centre for core government applications and web portals, a business incubator facility, as well as a training and certification facility for a variety of ICT certifications.
On Tuesday, June 19, 2007, the Taiwanese Government had donated EC$500,000 to the Labour Party Administration for renovation of the building to house the ICT Centre. However, the Centre was closed in 2012 due to structural issues with the building.
The Taiwanese Government however came to the rescue on Friday, October 9, 2015 and donated a cheque of over EC$500,000 to the Government of National Unity to assist in renovating the Centre.
