MPAC Connect Volume 4 July 2017

The National Information Communication
and Technology (NICT) Plan which was launched
on Wednesday July 5th is aimed at driving T&T’s
social and economic development and enhancing
the quality of life for all citizens.
The draft NICT Plan was approved by
Cabinet on June 1 st , 2017. It is a five year plan
from 2017 to 2021 and is labelled ‘Fast Forward
11”. According to Minister of Public
Administration and Communications, the
Honourable Maxie Cuffie, “The Plan is driven by
the needs and priorities of the Government,
business and the people of Trinidad and Tobago
– as well as the country’s regional and
international obligations. As such, it declares a
bold vision to see: empowered people,
competitive businesses, and transformational
government, through ICT.”
There are five Strategic Thrusts that
advance the realization of the National ICT
Vision. They are:
- Improving Connectivity - Advancing the
deployment of ICT infrastructure to
support securely connected people,
businesses, and government;
- Increasing Human Capacity - Enhancing
digital literacy and developing the skills to
enable productivity and innovation;
- Enhancing Public Service Delivery -
Ensuring the use of ICT to transform the
delivery of public goods and services and
achieve institutional strength and
capacity;
- Fostering Economic Development -
Creating an environment for eBusiness and
ICT Sector advancement;
- Advancing Environmental and Societal
Benefit - Creating an environment for
eBusiness and ICT Sector advancement.
Minister Cuffie also said that he is “confident though that
embedded within the Plan, are the already germinating seeds
of a diversified and strengthened economy where business
competitiveness is at an all-time high; where sustainable jobs
in the ICT sector which you and I cannot even now envisage will
be evident; and where the public service delivery of goods and
services which impact significantly on the day to day
operations of people and businesses are characterized by
efficiency, speed and quality far superior to what we currently
experience.”
Fast Forward 11 marks the beginning of the stakeholder
consultations of which the first was held on Friday July 7th
with the members of the Government ICT Leadership Advisory
Council (GILAC). This group is made up of ICT Managers
within the Public Service.
Other group consultations are expected to run through to
October 2017.