Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 11, 2019 (SKNIS): A digital transformation strategy aimed at making government more efficient when doing business with the public, private sector and the diaspora is expected to be launched in St. Kitts and Nevis shortly.
This was announced by the Honourable Vincent Byron Jr, Minister with responsibility for Communications, while addressing members of the diplomatic and consular corps at a lecture on Tuesday, April 09. The lecture formed part of the 2019 edition of Diplomatic Week activities in St. Kitts and Nevis celebrated under the theme: “Securing a Resilient Future through Strategic Diplomacy and Effective Dialogue”.
“It looks at processes, as well as look at the capacity, capabilities of our public servants and so it is being done on the basis of trying to improve and make us more efficient in terms of how we deliver services to people which we hope could also act as a catalyst to inviting foreign direct investments,” said Minister Byron.
He noted that in addition to making government more efficient, the idea of upgrading internet speed in the Federation is also being looked at.
“One of the real exciting parts of this strategy we hope, will be to launch high speed internet and upgrade the current network that we have so that we could become one of the first small island states in the region to have such a platform,” said the communications minister. “I think broadband has to be seen as critical infrastructure, as our water and energy and road network. And if we can add that and have an efficient one – fibre to the home – it gives us the platform to make us attractive to people who would want to come and invest and develop,” he added.
Minister Byron said that the need for “broader educational possibilities from everyone allows us to be creative, innovative and spawn businesses here that could help us as part of the diversification, as well as help us grow.”
The Ministry of Justice, Legal Affairs and Communications is leading the project and it’s facilitated by a consulting team from Deloitte, a management consulting company in the United States of America (USA).