Bacchus: People key to achieving SID goals

Minister of Digital Transformation Hassel Bacchus has said his ministry is focused on infrastructure, government, cyber security and regulatory framework, economy and people, as key areas that will move the country closer to achieving its digitalisation and transformation goals.

Bacchus gave the opening remarks at the Digital Pathways for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, which focused on advancing the digital transformation of SIDs. It will culminate at the 4th International Conference in Antigua and Barbuda in May to strengthen and co-ordinate the Caribbean position on digitalisation.

Bacchus praised the conference for being a space where regional leaders can gather and work together to brainstorm ways to move the Caribbean closer towards a digital future, and said he hoped to collaborate with other islands.

He called people the most important ingredient in achieving SID goals.

Referring to his past job as a DJ, Bacchus said the same formula needed to move a crowd is needed to foster relationships: a blend of people collaborating on different things, saying the tempo/people will create a movement and synergy that is key for effectively planning and moving forward.

Bacchus said regional relationships and codependency must be understood, as he acknowledges difficulties that may arise, but he said overcoming these is necessary to creating any lasting legacy, citing UWI and Caricom as successful institutions birthed from challenges.

“We simply cannot survive in any space as individuals.”

He said the government is committed to providing data and wifi for everyone in TT, saying data is the most important thing. His watchwords, he said, are: “Inclusion by design, making sure no one is left behind.”

He called for people who have ideas or software that can help the country move closer into a digital space and achieve SIDS goals to partner with the government, stressing that advancement can only be done through innovative thinking and collaboration.

“The intellectual property will remain yours,” Bacchus said.

He highlighted the government’s tier four data centre, a physical facility that houses critical applications and data. The building, he said, increases the security and resilience of its data services and those services that use the data centres.

The upcoming 4th International SIDS Conference in Antigua and Barbuda on May 27 aims to establish benchmarks and metrics for digital agenda achievements, focusing on co-ordination mechanisms and support mechanisms to empower Caribbean governments to use opportunities of the digital economy for sustainable development.

The conference seeks to define the concept of SIDS 2.0, formulate digital pathways and showcase best practices for country-to-country exchanges.