ROC (Taiwan) donates computers to Straker Resource Centre

The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has donated 12 Acer computers to the Sir Louis Straker Resource Centre at Layou.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony at the centre last week Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and area representative Sir Louis Straker noted that the 10 desktop computers and two laptops were donated after he approached the Embassy in an effort to keep a promise he had made to Central Leeward residents during the election campaign.{{more}}

Straker said the 19 computers which were donated by the Taiwanese Embassy when the centre was first opened in 2005 were destroyed by young residents over a period of time.

The area representative said with this donation, he expects there to be serious computer classes for young people who want to learn Information Technology.

Addressing last week’s ceremony, Taiwanese Ambassador Baushuan Ger said Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has become a very important item of co-operation between the two governments.

The ambassador stated that the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goal is to foster innovation and therefore it advocates that there be an increase in access to information and communication technology, while also striving to provide universal access to the Internet.

In 2010, SVG and Taiwan signed its first phase bilateral agreement on ICT cooperation in the sum of EC$5.9 million.

Ger recalled that since then, the E-government centre was established in Kingstown in 2013, six government information systems were created and more than 30 workshops, which provided training to hundreds of governmental workers and IT-related professionals, were organized.

He further stated that with the joint effort of both governments, the ISO certificate was awarded to the Information Technology Service Division of the Ministry of Economic Planning in 2015, which proved the ITSD has passed the international high standard for information security management.

Additionally, Ger noted that early this year, the second phase of the project was launched in the sum of EC$4.9 million, starting with three pilot agencies, aimed at building an interagency digital document interchange network among government agencies.

The ambassador said this initiative is expected to increase efficiency, as well as effectiveness, reduce redundancies and strengthen security on document processing and transmission.

Moreover, the ambassador stated that Taiwan has also been an advocate of inclusive and quality education, another UN sustainable development goal. Apart from the EC$2.5 million scholarships provided each year for over 60 Vincentian students to pursue higher education in Taiwan, Ger noted that in September every year, Taiwan allocates EC$270,000 on a local scholarship project to help the financially challenged students in every primary, secondary and tertiary school here, which more than 6,000 students have enjoyed since 1998.

Ger also gave the assurance that his government and embassy will remain fully committed to continuing these relations for years to come.(AS)