15 new ICT hubs to be built this year – PM Phillips

The Guyana Government will continue to invest in expanding access to information and communication technology (ICT) in rural and hinterland communities across the country.

Under the ICT Access and e-Services for Hinterland Poor and Remote Communities Project, approximately 170 ICT hubs have been set up to date in these communities to support education, telemedicine and Government services. And according to Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, more of these facilities will be built this year.

“Looking ahead, 15 new ICT hubs will be built in 2026,” the Prime Minister (PM) revealed.

PM Phillips made this announcement via a video statement posted on Saturday, in which he highlighted the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s progress and continued development plans across the energy, telecommunications and ICT, digital transformation, and disaster preparedness sectors – all of which fall under his office.

Over the last three years, the Government has invested more than $1 billion to bridge the digital divide, giving residents in remote hinterland communities not only access to digital services but also training in the ICT sector.

PM Phillips stated that these training initiatives will continue as a priority, with both capacity development for ICT managers and community-based training significantly scaled up this year, targeting some 2000 additional community members to ensure digital literacy becomes widespread.

“In 2025, we trained 33 new hub managers, bringing our total since 2022 to 192 trained managers nationwide. Across 44 communities, we trained and certified 130 community development officers and nearly 2500 community members in ICT basics.”

“We also strengthened institutional capacity by training 20 Community Development Officers from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs in digital communication, productivity tools, cybersecurity awareness, and Ministry platforms. Regional public servants benefited significantly as well [with] 189 public servants within Regional Democratic Councils trained to better leverage digital tools for community outreach,” the Prime Minister noted.