The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is continuing its efforts to improve the information and communication technology (ICT) capacity in Saint Lucia’s public sector.
With Taiwan having made significant contributions in the past to build ICT capacity in Saint Lucia’s public sector, the Governments of Saint Lucia and Taiwan signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, June 9, 2023, aimed at strengthening systems in the local public sector.
At an official ceremony held at the Union Orchid Gardens, His Excellency Peter Chia-yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, joined Hon. Dr. Virginia Albert-Poyotte, Minister for the Public Service, Home Affairs, Labour and Gender Affairs, to sign the “Memorandum of Understanding on the Application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Digital Capacity Building in Saint Lucia.
While referencing Hon. Dr. Albert-Poyotte’s International Women’s Day address delivered in March this year, Ambassador Chen said technology and innovation apply not only in the education sector, but also grant easier access for people to the public services, such as DigiGov, climate-resilient agriculture, and financing.
“This highlights the importance of acquiring essential skills and knowledge to effectively harness ICT in the post-pandemic era.” Ambassador Chen said.
“Through this MoU, Taiwan Embassy and Taiwan Technical Mission will be in cooperation with Ministry of Public Service, Education, Housing, and other departments in Saint Lucia to work on optimizing the software and hardware facilities and services of Digital Development Centers.” he added.
Ambassador Chen said the MoU signing marked another milestone in Taiwan-Saint Lucia bilateral cooperation, adding that it underscores the potential benefits of partnership for social development in Saint Lucia.
He also expressed confidence that the collaboration would become a critical platform to drive innovation and progress in Saint Lucia.
Meanwhile, Hon. Dr. Albert-Poyotte thanked the Government and people of Taiwan for its continued support to Saint Lucia’s development.
She underscored the timeliness of the MoU signing, especially given the Government’s robust commitment to building capacity in ICT in the public sector to better serve citizens.
“This Memorandum of Understanding being signed here today comes at a critical juncture in Saint Lucia’s development.” Hon. Dr. Albert-Poyotte said.
“This project will assist the development of the public service and the Government of Saint Lucia by extension in enhancing ICT education and training, to improve the quality of human resources and increase the pool of skilled labor here on the island, as well as meet the needs of the department in expanding ICT training capacities island-wide.” she shared.
The signing of the MoU comes as the Government of Saint Lucia aims to strengthen the development of digital transformation talents required by industries and government units to meet the economic needs in the post-pandemic era.
