Minister for Trade, Energy and Employment, Ian Douglas has described a National Exposition in observance of
Consumer Rights Day which was held at Windsor Park on Friday, as timely.
The Expo featured a number of stakeholders and the Smart products which they provide to the public.
The activity was organized by the Ministry of Trade in conjunction with the Dominica Consumer Protection Association.
“This Expo is therefore timely in allowing the public the knowledge necessary to embrace and engage the platforms which the government has been building and those to be built in the years to come,” he said.
According to Douglas, this year the celebration has been taken to another level.
“Most of us, if not all of us here, have a Smart device, a Smartphone or a tablet,” he noted. “We have the world at our fingertips literally.”
He went on to say that over the years, the government has been having appreciation for the use of Smart devices and building the platforms for safe use of those devices and has embarked on an E-Government agenda with the goal of establishing an information-based society.
Douglas said the government has created a platform that fosters the utilization of ICT’s to access, create, share and disseminate information.
“Government has also established an ICT Centre of Excellence at the Dominica State College [DSC] and the purpose of that Centre is to train ICT professionals in the use of ICT’s in order to aggressively build an ICT sector,” he added. “A Hub was also established in Grand Fond with several more hubs to be built within the next financial year.”
He added, “We are in tune with the ICT needs in this country….”
The Trade Minister also referred to the recently-signed agreement between the government and Digicel which he said will result in a more efficient public service and by extension an improvement in the World Bank “Doing Business” ratings.
Meantime, Director of Trade Matthan Walter said Smart products, “will always provide convenience, enjoyment and security, but education is ongoing, it’s a continuous process.”
“We need to understand them well so that we can make optimum use of those smart products,” he stated.
The theme for Consumer Rights Day was: “Trusted, Smart Products”.
“Government has also established an ICT Centre of Excellence at the Dominica State College [DSC] and the purpose of that Centre is to train ICT professionals in the use of ICT’s in order to aggressively build an ICT sector.”
Truth be told, this “Center of Excellence” at the State College is just a computer lab, not even a very attractive one either. smh. In dominica, I must admit that sometimes we try, but most times we come up with mediocrity.
I agree that the initiative is well meant in that what the Minister said is true, and that we do need to develop these skills in these times. But our facilities a lot of the times do not support our drive.
My concern is not so much about smart products but use that these devices are put to.
Learning how to access the internet or use a “smart” photocopier will not in itself make the user smart. I doubt that one personal computer, tablet or smart phone in ten thousand is used for anything other than following “soaps” and “friends” on Facebook.
Students are still expected to purchase expensive text books for their studies rather than being encouraged to access information on-line. More importantly, no progress whatsoever is being made in terms of using Information Communication Technologies to facilitate working from the home environment. You will not find a dedicated “work-room” in any of the on-going Dominica housing schemes, whereas other countries are offering incentives for the inclusion of such a space.
Really DNO? Does Dominica really have a minister of Trade or minister for anything? You have the guts to refer to the pappy show Ian Douglas, who helped Skerrit to get rid of Ross University while encouraging landlords to invest more of their insurance money to prepare for Ross, when he knew very well that Ross was sent to Barbados? As far as I am concerned I and those we the salary of a minister are nothing more than the ministers of cover-up whether trade, agriculture, national security, sports, health, public works etc. Their job is to help Skerrit destroy Dominica for their personal gain and, some of them are potential witnesses of crimes against country that they have been covering up.
Nothing but deceit, lies and trickery we get from this government.