2019 Prime Minister’s Business Forum: “Embracing Innovation for Economic Prosperity”
The annual Prime Minister’s Business Forum was held today at the Belize City Civic Centre. The Prime Minister’s presentation lasted about twenty-five minutes and while his statements about a sitting judge and the bench eclipsed the forum, government plans to upgrade its services through E-governance. The yearly event was organized by the Economic Development Council. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
Under the theme, “Embracing Innovation for Economic Prosperity”, today the 2019 Prime Minister’s Business Forum got underway at the Civic Centre in Belize City. Organized by the Economic Development Council, this year’s economic forum focused on two key topics, climate concerns and the need to improve service delivery by government agencies and departments through E-governance. The role of the application is to enhance efficiency of the government systems.
Dean Barrow
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“We can do certain basics that we are not doing but we must do. I don’t know if it is a choice between being completely bloodless or being completely incompetent. That shouldn’t be the choice. So surely we can do things that will help efficiencies, service delivery while making it clear that his notion that everything will be robotic almost is not something that we are going to go after. Lock chain the documents systems, absolutely- all for it.”
This year’s forum saw the participation of three hundred individuals from across the private sector. Founder of the Estonian E-government Academy Linner Viik and General Manager of the LINX brand of electronic debit payments in Trinidad and Tobago Glynis Alexander-Tam were the guest speakers at today’s event. Prime Minister Dean Barrow says that the Government ‘rededicates itself to the partnership for productivity with the private sector.’
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“I think it is to try and be substantive as well as symbolic. You want to make clear that the government and the private sector are partners. I think not necessarily today but certainly what goes into it does underscore and often prove positive of advances that have been made between the partnerships between the two. We talked about the packaging exemption duties, exemption for the smaller people. Symbolically I think it is good that the public can see some degree of bonding. I make clear that however much I feel that there ought to be redistribution of wealth in this country, the poor ought to be taken care of, I do not for a moment question the essential nature of the capitalist system that we have in which these business people play a huge role. So it is always good to be able to send a message that is alive and well ad intact and so that was part of the rationale for today’s do.”
Hipolito Novelo, News Five.
