Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 09, 2015 News
Government has started a review of its One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project, yesterday, disclosing that an inspection found a large number of unserviceable and defective ones at the Queenstown Office.
A vast majority of the defective laptops appeared to be “gifts” from China.
The inspection team included Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Government Advisor on E-Governance, Floyd Levi and Legal Advisor in the Ministry of the Presidency, Geeta Chandan-Edmond.
A tour of the office was facilitated by the OLPF Project Manager, Margot Boyce. A statement of the inspection at the project’s Forshaw Street office is part of the process of understanding what is happening with E-Governance, the Ministry of the Presidency said yesterday.
The inspection would come on the heels of a visit to the E-Governance project headed by Alexei Ramotar.
According to Harmon, he observed that there was “nothing much” happening with the OLPF, with a large number of unserviceable and defective laptops found. This, he says, is as a result of bad sourcing of the equipment from China.
He believes that the sourcing was done by persons who are independent of the Management of the OLPF.
The team at OLPF was basically managing and administering equipment that were given to them–some were useless.
The official made it clear that Government will at this time review the operations of the project, and the linkage between what is done with computers and what is done with the entire E-Governance project. The latter is an ambitious project to connect Government offices and facilities, using internet and other means.
Already some 50-plus towers have been installed across the coastland along with the construction of a data centre behind Castellani House, Vlissengen Road.
According to Harmon, there is a gap between the OLPF, E-Governance project and the delivery of internet service to the rest of the country. That needs to be properly explained.
“The Minister noted that nothing can be done with the laptops he has seen in storage at the OLPF office. He added that the bulk of the laptops were a gift, and Guyana had no real say in what was received.”
Minister Harmon said that had technical persons been given an opportunity to advise and choose, no decision would have been taken to accept gifts that are now worthless.
The OLPF programme was launched in 2011. The aim was to equip some 90,000 poor families with laptops and to expand the use of ICT across the country.
Up to May last year, 28,000 laptops were already distributed to families in various communities countrywide.
The previous government had been embroiled in controversy with questions over the actual distribution process and the cost for each laptop, which the previous administration cost at US$295.
The Bharrat Jagdeo government said it would have spent US$27M for the laptops, part of the monies coming from a Chinese loan.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
Mar 28, 2024
Minister Ramson challenge athletes to better last year’s performance By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s 23-member contingent for the CARIFTA Games in Grenada is set to depart the...B.V. Police Station Kaieteur News – The Beterverwagting Police Station, East Coast Demerara (ECD) will be reconstructed... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – In the face of escalating global environmental challenges, water scarcity and... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]