The Government of the Virgin Islands in collaboration with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) will be hosting the annual Information and Communications Technologies Week (ICT) here in the Territory on September 28 to October 1.

Minister for Communications and Works, Honourable Mark Vanterpool, is welcoming the opportunity for the Territory to highlight the advances that have been made in the field of telecommunications over the years.

Honourable Vanterpool said, ”We have made considerable effort to stay on the cutting edge of technology, but recognise that we have a lot of work to do to ensure that we keep up to date and that everyone appreciates the importance of Information and Communications Technology to the development of the Virgin Islands.”

He added, “I encourage the officials responsible to redouble their efforts and I expect that we will make much progress during this week of activities in this regard.”

The week is expected to be filled with insightful conversation about the advancement of telecommunications in the region and will consist of Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminars.

The seminars seek to educate and promote the understanding of ICT and their potential to advance the social and economic development agenda of Caribbean countries.According to the CTU, the Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminars create a forum for Government Ministers, regulators and senior policy makers to engage industry players in order to gain greater understanding of emerging technologies and their impact on diverse spheres of operations; to express their concerns regarding the use of information and communication technologies (ICT); and to obtain the necessary insight for informed decision-making.

The Ministerial Seminar is slated for September 30th and will be hosted under the theme “Kick starting the CARICOM single ICT Space by Accelerating e-Government Services”.

The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) is a Caribbean intergovernmental organisation dedicated to facilitating the development of the regional telecommunications sector. The CTU was established by the heads of government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 1989 in Nassau, The Bahamas. There are approximately 20 member states within the Caribbean Telecommunications Union.