Government continued to work toward finalising a draft National Information and Communications Technology Policy and Strategy at a stakeholder workshop on Friday.
Geraldine Ritter-Freeman, the deputy secretary in the Premier’s Office, said government is obligated to ensure proper oversight and monitoring within the ICT sphere.
“To this end, the completion of a national ICT plan is critical for the future growth, development and sustainability of the Virgin Islands,” she said. “Hence the recent meeting with the representatives of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and the relevant government agencies cement the government’s commitment to ensuring that the final plan is completed and delivered by the end of this year.”
Ms. Ritter-Freeman said the discussions at the Friday session were “robust” and “meaningful,” according to Government Information Services.
“I am pleased with the level of engagement across all sectors and I am satisfied that we are well on our way to advancing a national ICT plan that is proactive, responsive and decisive,” she added.
Agencies represented in the discussions included the Premier’s Office, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, the Department of Information Technology, and the Recovery and Development Agency.
The government signed an agreement in August 2017 to collaborate with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union on the development of a National ICT Policy and Implementation Plan, according to GIS.
Since then, it has engaged private sector and public sector stakeholders to develop this policy. Amendments derived from last week’s workshop will be sent to Cabinet for approval, according to GIS.