Minister of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development, Senator Lynette Eastmond, made this clear at a recent breakfast seminar on the Computer Misuse Act and Security at the Savannah Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church.
Eastmond said a Barbados policy was currently in development pertaining to ICT, with a national ICT advisory committee already established to encourage its use.
She said Government had also implemented a number of key projects to facilitate and promote the application of the technology such as: the public expenditure management project; projects for the computerisation of the Land Tax, Inland Revenue, Customs and National Insurance Departments, and an eGovernment project.
"Among the other actions which have been taken are the removal of duties and taxes from computers and computer software to make them more affordable by all people; the liberalisation of the telecommunications market with a view to increasing competition in order to facilitate the provision of a wider range of telecommunication services at more affordable prices; and a marked, systemic increase in ICT training for public sector employees," she said.
The minister said an Electronic Transactors Act, a Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act and the Computer Misuse Act were key components in the action plan for ecommerce development.
Autor: (CA)
Quelle: The Nation Newspaper, 12.04.2006
