Foreword
In this world of competition, it is imperative
that
St.
Lucia
utilises
information
and
communication technology (ICT) to strengthen our
economic position and to build a knowledge‐based
society. We must use ICT to strengthen our tourism
and agriculture sectors, and we must have a focus
on growing the ICT sector itself. Our country needs
to take its rightful place in the modern world. We
must be seen as a place to do business and to visit.
ICT can help position us on the travel map, but we
need to make effective use of a tourism portal, and
we must improve the quality of the customer service
that we deliver to our valued visitors through ICT‐
enabled integration.
A CALL TO ACTION
”Banks and businesses throughout
the world have failed at an alarming
rate and economic activity in the
global economy as a whole is on the
decline. All this is taking place
despite the concerted efforts of
policy makers to diagnose and
prescribe correctly the remedy for
economic recovery and survival. The
implications for Saint Lucia and the
Caribbean are serious, considering
our dependency on Tourism,
Primary Commodities, Trade and
Development Finance.”
St. Lucia Budget Speech 2009,
Prime Minister
Honourable Stephenson King
Prime Minister
Our agricultural sector
is another area that can
benefit
significantly
by
strategic investments in ICT.
The
utilisation
of
well
managed
databases
and
sharing of key information by
all
our
agricultural
stakeholders can only redound
to our benefit.
I must remind you that
the success of this national ICT
plan is driven by the
intellectual capacity of our
people. Our citizens need to
be equipped to utilise the
information that the ICT
infrastructure will deliver to
make better decisions, to
perform more effectively at
their jobs, and to support
personal growth and the
growth of their families.
It is, therefore, with great pleasure that I invite each and every one to rise to the
challenge of transforming St. Lucia into a knowledge‐based society. I urge you to explore the
benefits that ICT provides today and the opportunities that it will provide to the next
generation. I ask our business community to become more involved and to strengthen the
linkages that ICT enables in order to grow our economy. I invite ICT organisations around
the world to become our partners in this endeavour. Finally, I say, it is time for innovation, it
is time for action, and it is time for delivery!
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