12-member Government team to travel to Estonia, China for eGovernment Study Visit and Workshop
A 12-member multi-sectoral team of Government officials on April 8, 2019, travelled to Estonia and China as part of an eGovernment Study Visit and Workshop where they participated in activities aimed at expanding awareness of the importance, application and implementation of eGovernance. The team consists of members from the Ministries of Business, Education, Finance, Legal Affairs, Presidency (Citizenship) and Public Security, along with staff from the Guyana Revenue Authority, General Register Office, Parliament Office and the National Data Management Authority (NDMA).
The visit, which will last from April 8-19, 2019, is aimed at developing a shared understanding and vision for eGovernment in Guyana. Currently, the Government of Guyana has approved two major eGovernment Projects: the Development of the Digital Governance Roadmap for Guyana which was completed in partnership with the eGovernance Academy (EGA) of Estonia in October 2018; and the Guyana National Broadband Project with implementing partner Huawei Technologies Ltd. Inc. of the People’s Republic of China which began in November 2018.
Through this expedition, the team will be empowered to champion and drive the necessary policy, administrative and technical initiatives required for successful implementation of critical eGovernment systems. These missions are opportunities to study successfully implemented eGovernment systems in use, assess the potential developmental impact of such implementations on Guyana and gain a better understanding of the implementation requirements and steps.
General Manager of NDMA, Mr Floyd Levi views the trip as very important as it will provide the participants with an opportunity to see implementations of eGovernment in practice and that it is meant to give a holistic perception of what a Guyanese digital society can be like in the near future.
“We currently have an ongoing arrangement with the EGA where they are assisting us with developing a roadmap for digital governance. The participants will be exposed to the Estonian experience and policy initiatives that are currently being developed to create a digital society. The team will be visiting in China a number of locations where elements of our ongoing project with Huawei will be on display,” Mr Levi said. This will include facilities where they will be exposed to systems that support government decision-making and observing a safe city concept for public security. Visits will be made to various Huawei facilities where cutting edge technology will be on display. A highlight of the trip also includes a demonstration of the Government of China’s One-Stop Service Centre which is a location that uses Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to provide all Government Services to Chinese citizens.
