ICT Project Allocated $352 Million

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) project will be aided with the allocation of $352.3 million in the 2008/09 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.
This project, aims to contribute to Jamaica’s e-readiness and to support the development of the ICT sector, in order to increase competitiveness, diversify exports and expand productive employment.
The purpose of the project, is to promote enhanced efficiency and access, thereby reducing transaction costs and increasing ICT use in the Private/Public Sectors and Civil Society.
The project which was originally slated to end in March this year, has been further extended to conclude in June 2009.
Physical achievements up to December 2007 are: the procurement and operation of the Trade Board’s on-line system infrastructure; the training of Government personnel in Spectrum Management; established computer facilities at the revenue centre to facilitate public accesses in the payment of taxes; established 11 community access points in marginalized communities; trained community access managers; procured database management software; completed consultancy for marketing and public education; developed and launched the e-Government website (www.e-jamaica.gov.jm) and established an e-Government tax portal; awarded contract to establish Public Key Infrastructure; and commenced the re-engineering of Government tax processes.
Expected physical targets for this fiscal year include the establishment of 30 community access points; completion of the re-engineering of Government revenue processes; acquire equipment to support Government revenue processes online; the revision of Government web standards and personnel trained in its implementation; training of Government staff in the use of new ICT e-Government equipment; procurement of equipment for Public Key Infrastructure; implementation of the Certification Authority; the initiation of Phase II of the online tax collection; conduct ICT training programme for legislators and the judiciary; the delivery of online help facilities to support e-Government online services; and the use of ‘free and open source’ software in Government ICT systems.
The project is funded by the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).