The first in a series of town hall meetings, being hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development, in conjunction with the Information Society of Barbados (ISB), which will focus on Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), commences tomorrow night.
It will take place between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at the Princess Margaret School.
Barbadians are being encouraged to come out in their numbers to get hands-on experience on how to use various forms of ICTs, at this event. An official with the Ministry of Commerce noted that “these town hall meetings will feature Netspeak demonstrations where members of the public will be able to call family and friends abroad free of charge”.
The ISB and the Ministry have been working together on various initiatives to promote the use and application of ICTs as well as to help build an all-inclusive information society.
Most recently, Minister of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development, Senator Lynette Eastmond, underscored the importance of ICT as it related to development. According to her “ICTs can lead to greater efficiency in all of our endeavours … it has been accepted that science and technology and innovation hold the keys to unlocking social and economic development”.
More specifically, the town hall meetings will focus on the strategies which can be employed by business persons, to lever the virtues of ICTs to add value to their activities. The general public will also be afforded the opportunity of learning how the use of ICTs can significantly improve their quality of living.
Tomorrow’s town hall meeting will also see the setting up of a temporary Internet connection being made available for those attending and resource persons will be on hand to give demonstrations on how to use this technology and give their experiences.
Additional information on tomorrow’s town hall meeting may be obtained from the Ministry of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development at telephone number 427-5270.