Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit met with a group of computer programmers and software developers on Saturday, February 19, to discuss opportunities in the Digital Economy.
The meeting, held at the Jungle Bay Resort and Spa in Soufriere, focused on Dominica’s Digital Economy agenda and how citizens can benefit from available funding, training and assistance to develop ideas in digital innovation.
The Prime Minister told participants advancements in the Digital Economy will drive economic growth, job creation, and improved service delivery. “The aim is to create a different type of economy, a new economy, an economy that uses technology to create jobs and greater opportunity for young people,” Skerrit said.
“It is amazing the extraordinary talent we have among youth in Dominica. The digital transformation project is really for the young people and they need to lead it. Government is prepared to engage them and partner with them to enhance and mold their talent to the benefit of the country.”
The Government of Dominica is investing 75 million dollars to enhance the digital economy as part of the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project. The project supports the development of an enabling environment for the digital economy that drives competition, investment, and innovation; and aims to boost the productivity and competitiveness of traditional industries and initiate a cultural shift towards modernization in the private sector.
Minister for Public Works and the Digital Economy, Cassanni Laville encouraged attendees to embrace the opportunities in the Digital Economy. “Digital transformation touches every facet of our society. That being the case, I urge you to organize and think of how you can provide solutions to the problems in our society,” Laville stated.
“We want to foster an environment of technology adoption and digital skills. We want to drive economic growth through job creation and business optimization. We want to provide the means for our people here and abroad who want to transact business in Dominica. We want to reduce time and cost of doing business, improve overall service delivery and become a global service market, and you can play a significant role in all of this,” the Minister said.
Coordinator of the Digital Economy Unit, Robert Tonge also addressed the consultation, which included presentations from youth entrepreneurs operating in the digital space.