China gives US$37.6 million boost to Guyana’s E-Government broadband system

Last Updated on Sunday, 23 September 2018, 17:54 by Denis Chabrol

China on Saturday signed a US$37.6 million agreement to boost Guyana’s broadband access for security surveillance and the provision of remote health care, officials said.

“This project will see the upgrading of the network to enable an equitable delivery of service in the education, health, security, business and other sectors,” said Guyana’s Foreign Minister shortly after signing the agreement for the Guyana National Broadband Project with China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Wang Yi.

The accord was signed in Georgetown, the capital of this oil-rich South American nation.

Chairman of Guyana’s National Data Management Authority, Floyd Levi told reporers that under the agreement, China would build a back-up data centre, improve the capacity of the fibre optic cables and microwave technologies,  provide more surveillance equipment on the densely populated coast and key ports, installation of smart classrooms to deliver lecturers and treat patients remotely across Guyana, a 216,000 square kilometre country.

“I am certainly aware that in intelligence-led policing, you can use the camera systems to determine what courses of action they can take in order to prevent crime and maybe, if it’s allowable in court, they can use that as evidence in court,” he said.

The Guyana government says it hopes to reduce the need for long queues for basic services such as applying for birth certificates, passports and other public services.