G.O.B. & Taiwan Sign Implementing Arrangement for Digital Inclusion Program
Last Thursday, an implementation arrangement for the digital inclusion program was signed between the governments of Belize and Taiwan by Ambassador David Kuan-Chou Chien and Minister of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics and E-Governance Michel Chebat. The almost half-a-million Belize dollar program is being funded by the Taiwanese government and will assist in the development of digital labs and strengthening digital literacy and skills in Belize. Today, News Five spoke with Minister Chebat who says that it is critical to provide people in marginalized communities with the tools to access technology.
Michel Chebat
Michel Chebat, Minister of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics and E-Governance
“Under Plan Belize we have a directive we had set out that we are going to try to reach all our rural communities and to make sure that they have equal access to internet and to opportunities for economic development and growth and so we entered into an M.O.U. with Taiwan where they are going to be supporting this project with two hundred and forty-three thousand dollars U.S. And that money is going to be used for two purposes; one of them is really to create these digital innovation centers, if you may, and the other one is to help us to build capacity by teaching computer skills and digital literacy skills. So those funds are really gonna be earmarked for those two main purposes. We are expecting to see that from those funds, we are going to be getting about seven labs.”
Duane Moody
“The target areas that will be benefiting from this?”
Michel Chebat
“Right, they are going to be throughout the country and we are trying to put in every district at least one initially. Most of this is gonna come from grant funding so it is not gonna cost the government any real monies. In terms of an overall cost, we are looking at the two hundred and forty-three [thousand] from Taiwan and there is a similar fund that’s gonna be coming through the U.N.D.P.”
Areas such as Bullet Tree, San Estevan, Saint Matthews Village and the Lake Independence area will see infrastructure put in place for internet
