The Hon. Minister of Public Works and the Digital Economy, Senator Cassani Laville, addressed a press conference on Monday to inform the public of the ministry’s plans to fully digitize Dominica’s economy.
According to the minister, some of the key components of the plan include infrastructure for high speed internet access, building digital platforms, enacting legislature, and systems to support digital entrepreneurship and innovation. Specifically, the digitization of the economy will include public service e-payments of grants; ease of entry and exit of goods and passengers through our ports with the installation of immigration kiosks among other things; increasing the capacity of the National Emergency Response Team Cyber Security Unit to oversee digital signatures, licensing, E-money issuers and unique digital identifiers.
Laville said that the Government has engaged with the World Bank, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, various ministries and private sector entities to assess the challenges to digitizing the economy and how to surpass these. Among the challenges include geographic remoteness, limited investment attractions and climate vulnerability.
Laville says that while he believes in humility he must admit that he is proud to be a part of such a defining moment in our history which will no doubt drive economic growth, provide convenience, reduce time and cost of conducting business and improve service delivery. According to the minister, he looks forward to the digital economy with “heightened optimism and excitement”.
