A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 1 November to Sunday 1 December 2019.
Monday, 25 November 2019
Digital learning platform to help students displaced by Hurricane Dorian
Bahamas – Approximately 1,000 students in The Bahamas who were displaced by the passage of Hurricane Dorian in September will now receive unparalleled academic support with the introduction of a One-on-One digital learning platform… more
BELIZE TELEMEDIA LIMITED SUFFERED A LOSS OF JUST OVER FIVE MILLION
Belize – Belize Telemedia Limited suffered a loss of just over five million dollars… more
Gov’t making moves to transform BVI into hub for financial technology
British Virgin Islands – Government has said it plans to turn the British Virgin Islands into a hub for Financial Technology which, effectively, is an emerging and innovative category of technology used to create easier ways to utilise and deliver financial services… more
Lee-Chin criticises gov’t for failing to implement AMANDA software
Jamaica – Michael Lee-Chin, Chairman of the Economic Growth Council, has criticised the Government for failing to successfully the application management and data automation (AMANDA) software… more
Social media and the devaluation of public honesty
Regional – Honesty is the universally accepted principle on which people should voluntarily conduct all their affairs and relations… more
Champions of technology
Trinidad and Tobago – At the start of 2015, Oliver Sagba founded Term Finance Holdings Limited, a web-based credit and loans operation based in Port of Spain, with just two people—himself and another employee… more
C&W offers One Government system to TT
Trinidad and Tobago – Local businesses, government ministries and agencies can now look forward to saving money if they get on board a platform with a solution that will bring immediate cost cutting expenditure and value to their operations… more
Term Finance Holdings wins Business Technology award
Trinidad and Tobago – Term Finance Holdings has won the 2020 Business Technology award in the Champions of Business awards ceremony… more
Tuesday, 26 November 2019
Money ‘no problem’ for quality data – IDB official
Barbados – Lawmakers were today warned not to allow the state of the economy to jeopardize the country’s chances of having quality and up-to-date information so better decisions can be made at all levels… more
BVI to embrace digitalisation to further innovate funds industry
British Virgin Islands – The theme of digitalisation took centre stage at the annual Meet the Regulator Forum held by the BVI’s financial regulator, the Financial Services Commission (‘FSC’) this July… more
PayPal’s Xoom Rolls Out Bill Pay For Users In Jamaica
Jamaica – Xoom, PayPal’s international money transfer service, announced the launch of its bill pay service in Jamaica… more
CDB President calls for ‘radical’ education reform to drive digital transformation
Regional – President of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr Warren Smith, has called for “a radical change” in the region’s education system to equip the population with the skills needed to capitalise on the digital age… more
Digicel’s earnings dip for July to September quarter
Regional – On the heels of ratings agency Fitch warning that Digicel faces imminent refinancing risk and will likely have to restructure its 2021 bonds, news has emerged that the company suffered a dip in earnings for the July to September quarter… more
Digicel urged to restructure debt
Regional – On the heels of ratings agency Fitch warning that Digicel faces imminent refinancing risk and will likely have to restructure its 2021 bonds, news has emerged that the telecommunications company saw its earnings dip in the three months to the end of September… more
STEM for a Better Future
Saint Lucia – Tons of eager students from schools including the Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School, Saint Mary’s College, Leon Hess Secondary School, Patricia D James Secondary School and the Corinth Secondary School participated in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Career showcase … more
FLOW launches its 2019 Christmas promotion
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – FLOW, through their Christmas promotion dubbed, “It only gets better with FLOW this Christmas”, is giving customers great deals on all the services they provide… more
Flow offers now HBO packages to its customers
Trinidad and Tobago – Flow has launched new broadband and bundle packages… more
Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Sterling Names Bahamian To Head Local It Operations
Bahamas – Sterling Global Financial, the $10bn asset manager, has appointed Timothy Maura to head corporate information technology (IT) for its Bahamas operations… more
Accompanying legislation needed as safeguard to NIDS bill, says attorney
Jamaica – As the government prepares to reintroduce legislation for setting up the National Identification System (NIDS), attorney-at-law Isat Buchanan says accompanying legislation is needed to serve as a safeguard… more
Delroy Warmington | Time To Disrupt The Jamaican Banking System [PART 2]
Jamaica – Maybe Jamaica needs to follow Australia and establish a commission to look into the irregularities of the banking industry… more
Gov’t To Resurrect NIDS With Focus On ICT
Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness told Parliament yesterday that the Government would not be abandoning the identification aspect of the National Identification System (NIDS)… more
Holness Says STEM Schools Will Be Performance-Based
Jamaica – Making a pitch for the establishment of an alternative education system to focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), Prime Minister Andrew Holness yesterday said the current teaching and learning process was “autocratic” and unfriendly to “exploratory learning”… more
New international award for itelbpo
Jamaica – The 2019 Contact Center Outsourcing Services Growth Excellence Leadership Award for Latin America and the Caribbean has been conferred on itelbpo in their second consecutive win from, Frost & Sullivan, a leading global consulting firm involved in market research and analysis, known for setting industry benchmarks for growth and performance… more
JamFin Inks Tech Deal For Compliance System
Jamaica – A plan by the Jamaica Association for Microfinancing, or JamFin, to modernise the operations of the microfinance sector and improve market share for its members was put into action last month after it inked a deal with Cayman Islands-based regulatory technology firm, Global Risk and Data Authority, GRADA… more
New NIDS Bill to be tabled by March 31 – Holness
Jamaica – The Government is pushing to table a new National Identification and Registration (NIDS) Bill by March 31, the end of the 2019-2020 financial year… more
Technology In Focus | As Biometrics Use Become Widespread … Experts Call For Fast-Tracking Of Data Protection Law
Jamaica – The collection of biometric data via fingerprints is becoming more prevalent in Jamaica. Some businesses require employees to use biometric devices to clock in, and the technology is also widely used on smartphones… more
Xoom launches bill payment service in Jamaica
Jamaica – Xoom, PayPal’s international money transfer service is launching a bill payment service in Jamaica… more
WiPay brings business without banks
Trinidad and Tobago – Doing financial transactions can be hard if you don’t have a bank account. WiPay, a payment solution company, has introduced two new finance technology (fintech) services into the market that allows those who do not have a bank account to shop online and fill out know your customer forms with ease… more
Thursday, 28 November 2019
Bahamas Government Launches Programme to Make Services More Efficient Faster Online
Bahamas – The Bahamas has officially launched a digital transformation programme that will make it possible for all major Government services to be accessed online… more
Government of Belize pushing forward with E-governance agenda
Belize – Тоdау, thе Gоvеrnmеnt оf Веlіzе (GОВ) hеld а wоrkѕhор іn соllаbоrаtіоn wіth thе Іntеr-Аmеrісаn Dеvеlорmеnt Ваnk tо dіѕсuѕѕ іtѕ Е-Gоvеrnmеnt аgеndа, whісh аіmѕ tо mаkе gоvеrnmеnt ѕеrvісеѕ ассеѕѕіblе оnlіnе… more
GeoTech boss rejects minister’s take on tablet dispute
Jamaica – GEOTECH Vision Enterprises has rejected statements made in Parliament Tuesday by Technology Minister Fayval Williams about the ongoing contract dispute between the company and the state entity, e-Learning Jamaica… more
Something for everyone at TelEm Group’s Wacky Village Friday.
Sint Maarten – TelEm Group says it will be setting up a Wacky Village in the company’s parking lot starting Friday, November 29 and ending the following day, Saturday. The two-day event will feature a host of activities and entertainment for everyone… more
Friday, 29 November 2019
URCA to host pop-up meetings on GB
Bahamas – In keeping with its mandate to act as a regulator of various key sectors including electronic telecommunications and energy, the Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) has also provided a platform for consumers to register complaints and concerns… more
BTL boasts record earnings
Belize – On Thursday, November 21, Belize Telemedia held its 13th Annual General Meeting, 10 of those under nationalization. Speaking to the shareholders present, Mohan Mahase, Chief Financial Officer for the company stated that BTL earned $165… more
Digicel appoints new CEO
British Virgin Islands – Digicel British Virgin Islands has appointed Kevin Smith as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)… more
Denis O’Brien faces pressure to inject equity into Digicel
Regional – Businessman Denis O’Brien, who extracted at least $1.9 billion (€1.7 billion) of dividends from Digicel between 2007 and 2014, will face demands from bondholders to inject equity into the business under an expected debt restructuring next year, according to sources… more
eGov Jamaica Launches GovTechTalk Series
Jamaica – eGov Jamaica Limited, on Thursday (Nov. 28), launched its GovTechTalk Series for workers in the Government information sector… more
iCreate reports loss
Jamaica – Creative training institute iCreate Limited reported on Thursday (November 14) an unaudited net loss of $12.5 million for the nine-month period ending September 30, 2019, following a net loss of $4.3 million recorded in the corresponding period last year… more
The ‘quacking ducks’ Denis O’Brien stuffed with Digicel debt wait in the reeds
Regional – Nicole Laframboise, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) economist, didn’t mince her words on Monday when she wrapped up the fund’s latest review of the state of Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas… more
bmobile and YBTT partner for Technology Conference
Trinidad and Tobago – Smart technology and finance go hand in hand. This was Oliver Sabga’s main message to a group of students who attended the bmobile TecYOUth Conference last Tuesday… more
Saturday, 30 November 2019
EDITORIAL: HIGHLIGHT THE POSITIVES USING TECHNOLOGY
Barbados – A lot of good things are happening across our local schools, but at times only the negatives are highlighted by way of technology, such as school quarrels and school fights… more
LIDAR contract signed – Saint Lucia to benefit from data-driven planning and disaster mitigation initiatives.
Saint Lucia – A contract for LIDAR data collection of Saint’s Lucia’s entire landmass and coastal zone was signed under the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project, DVRP, as one of the highlights of the World Bank’s project supervision mission from November 18-22, 2019… more
Trinidad: Fired Digicel worker caught vandalising cell tower
Trinidad and Tobago – A FIRED Digicel employee was one of two men arrested inside a Digicel cell tower in Biche earlier this week… more
Sunday, 1 December 2019
ICT for Education Project Agreement Signed
Saint Lucia – THE official signing ceremony of the “Application of Information and Communication Technology for Education Development Cooperation Project” took place on the afternoon of Wednesday 27th November at the Auberge Seraphine Hotel… more
C&W eyes GORTT business
Trinidad and Tobago – TELECOMMUNICATIONS operator C&W Business, whose parent company owns 49 per cent of majority State-owned TSTT, last week launched a unified communication platform named One Government, which is designed to allow employees of government ministries to call each other from any part of the country, region… more
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