Small states advised to use ICT

The Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of the West Indies yesterday hosted a one-day seminar entitled “Information and Communication Technologies and Development: Opportunities and Challenges for Small States.” The seminar, which was held at the Faculty of Engineering, sought to determine whether the ICT revolution was the solution to the historical development problems of third world countries. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Administration and Information, Gillian Macintyre, delivered greetings at the seminar on behalf of Minister Lenny Saith. Addressing the gathering, Macintyre said small states had always faced uniquely difficult challenges in pursuit of their development agenda, and it was a problem which was made more acute by the fiercely competitive global environment.

Claiming that many a time, small states had been forced to join together to make their voices heard in the global arena, Macintyre said with information and communication technologies (ICT), small states finally had a “chance to overcome some of the problems caused by their smallness.” With ICT, the potential to develop our human resources was enormous, she said, adding that human resources was sometimes the only real wealth a small country had. “Information technology can be used to develop people at all levels,” she stated, “as it has the penetrative capacity to overcome deficits in social and economic infrastructure and to take education, training and skills development where it was needed.”

Technology can also generate economic products for a global market from any destination in the world, while increasing domestic economic activity. Citing India as an example, Macintyre said with information and technology, skilled human beings had successfully generated US$12 billion annually in software exports to the developed world. Admitting government’s role in introducing ICT, she said it had to be done through a well-coordinated, comprehensive inclusive plan which is in accordance with international best practice.

Prof David Wastell of the University of Manchester’s Institute of Science and Technology explained two government concepts used in the United Kingdom, which transformed the public sector and increased the output of its human resources. Wastell said while ICT could be used locally to facilitate cooperation among agencies, Wastell said the implementation of such a concept could enhance social and economic well-being by providing better service delivery and combatting social exclusion.