Minister of MPAC receives Country Action Plan on ICT from CTO

 

MEDIA RELEASE

The Honourable Maxie Cuffie, Minister of Public Administration and Communications has received a Country Action Plan developed by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) to assist Trinidad and Tobago in pursuing its ICT ambitions, following a meeting with CTO Secretary-General, Mr. Shola Taylor on 13th July, 2016.

The CTO, which hosted a Broadband Caribbean Forum on the 14th and 15th July, 2016 in Port of Spain to examine the importance of broadband to 21st Century life in the Caribbean, also outlined the organisation’s Strategic Plan for 2016-2020 to the Honourable Minister, which included strategic goals in areas such as ICT regulation and cybersecurity.

Mr. Taylor congratulated Minister Cuffie on his assumption of responsibility for a converged portfolio which includes ICT policy and the establishment of a Steering Committee on ICT. “This [meeting] is my opportunity to discuss the ICT priorities of Trinidad and Tobago and identify areas in which the CTO can assist our long-standing member and holder of the office of First Vice Chairman of the Council” he said. “I was interested in hearing of Minister Cuffie’s ambition to expand the use of ICTs within the Public Sector and commend him for establishing an ICT Steering Committee to advance this objective” Minister Cuffie in extending a warm welcome to the Secretary General, noted the CTO’s initiative to conduct a global study on Over the Top Operators (OTTs) and also congratulated the organization for its new strategic goals. “I am extremely interested to learn of the CTO’s strategic plan for the next four years and how it is relevant to the development of the country’s ICT sector,” Minister Cuffie remarked. “I would also like to commend the Organisation for the timely hosting of a conference on broadband, with a focus on the specific needs of the Caribbean.”

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About the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is the oldest and largest Commonwealth intergovernmental organisation in the field of information and communication technologies. Although its history can be traced back to 1901 with the establishment of the Pacific Cable Board, the organisation has only existed in its present form as an intergovernmental treaty organisation since 1967. With a diverse membership spanning developed and least developed countries, small island developing states, and more recently also the private sector and civil society, the CTO aims to become a trusted partner for sustainable development for all through ICTs.