A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 7 August to Sunday 13 August 2023.
Monday, 7 August 2023
Guyana lawmakers pass electronic communications and transactions bill
Guyana – Guyana’s national assembly passed the electronic communications and transactions bill, the legal framework to regulate, validate and recognize electronic communications, transactions, transfers and payments… more
Is TT ready to host digital nomads?
Trinidad and Tobago – Lauren Ravazi, a ten-year veteran of the digital nomad movement, executive director of Plumia and director of Safety Wing – which provides insurance services to digital nomads – thinks this country has the potential to develop the visitor model… more
Tuesday, 8 August 2023
Arawak X ‘still operating’ despite eviction notice
Bahamas – Arawak X is still operating despite an eviction notice on their doors in their Sandy Port offices, its chief executive said… more
Fintechs in The Bahamas: Mastercard creating a path for innovation and financial inclusion
Bahamas – MUCH has been written recently about financial inclusion, its impact on world economies, and how it is rooted in empowerment when financial tools and credit are accessible and become facilitators of positive social and economic outcomes… more
PwC wins ‘Digital Innovation of the Year’ award
Caribbean – FOR its suite of AI services in support of its global auditors, PwC has been awarded the 2023 “Digital Innovation of the Year Award” at the 12th annual International Accounting Forum & Awards in London… more
Butcher remanded over cybercrime charges
Guyana – Twenty-two-year-old Lemuel Dundas of Lot 105 Den Amstel, West Demerara, appeared yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus and pleaded not guilty to three cybercrime charges… more
Proposed Bill Lays Groundwork for Guyana’s Biometric Digital ID System
Guyana – Guyana Prime Minister Mark Phillips has presented a bill to the National Assembly setting the stage for an advanced biometric national ID system in the country… more
Jamaica implements digital entry form for travellers
Jamaica – The new digital entry form for incoming passengers to Jamaica will become mandatory on September 1… more
Wednesday, 9 August 2023
Staff and unions blast BTC during protests
Bahamas – Several dozen Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) workers yesterday joined with executives from the company’s two trade unions to demonstrate against feared job losses and other grievances with the carrier… more
Union boss: BTC trying to make staff ‘look bad’
Bahamas – A union leader yesterday accused the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) of trying to make Bahamian staff “look bad to justify” outsourcing local jobs as the carrier’s 2023 first-half revenues fell by $1.4m… more
Artificial intelligence: Economic ally or adversary?
Caribbean – Do we really need home computers?” This was the headline of an article written by William F Buckley Jr in June 1982… more
New JobsCayman portal to cost 14 times more than current gateway
Cayman Islands – Government’s overhaul of its employment portal JobsCayman is expected to cost $1.3 million, about 1,300% more than the total cost for the existing gateway, the Ministry of Border Control and Labour has confirmed… more
Data Protection Bill outlines stiff penalties for defaulter
Guyana – The Data Protection Bill, which is set for its 2nd reading in the National Assembly today, envisages safeguarding citizens’ personal information through a Protection Commissioner. It also provides for fines totaling as much as $100M in addition to imprisonment for those who violate the law… more
Jamaica Wins Top Honors For Its Website
Jamaica – As Jamaica continues to lead the travel industry’s return to growth, the destination has been honored with a 2023 Platinum Award in the Website – Travel category of the dotCOMM Awards for VisitJamaica.com… more
TSTT restores services, gives customers free data for rest of day
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT (Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago) has said in a release that all services have been fully restored after Wednesday morning’s network interruption, which affected landline, internet and mobile services to customers in parts of the country… more
Thursday, 10 August 2023
FTX consumes 21% of Commission costs
Bahamas – FTX’s implosion consumed 21 percent of the Securities Commission’s near-$15m operating expenses last year as it raced to preserve client assets and tackle the legal and regulatory fall-out… more
5 tips on creating an impactful podcast
Caribbean – In the digital age – when information and entertainment are accessible with just a click – podcasts have carved a distinctive niche as both a source of knowledge and a respite from our screen-saturated lives… more
Caribbean jobseekers encouraged to apply for remote job positions
Caribbean – Jobseekers throughout the Caribbean are being encouraged to apply to work remotely for regional and international organizations while still living in their home country by a digital talent acquisition service operating out of Barbados… more
Huawei to bridge educational, gender gaps in Caribbean
Caribbean – Experts in telecommunications and education discussed the challenges of improving connectivity in Latin America and the Caribbean at a panel in Santiago, Chile last Thursday, a release from Huawei said… more
New tech solutions come out of CIBC FirstCaribbean’s hackathon
Caribbean – CIBC FirstCaribbean and consulting firm McKinsey and Co collaborated to host the bank’s first hackathon – a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to improve upon or build a new software program – as part of its innovation and planning exercise… more
Cybersecurity strategy, go after tax evaders
Trinidad and Tobago – The development of a national cybersecurity strategy, a national energy policy, the strengthening of the Fraud Squad and priority for the establishment of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) and its resource requirements are among the budget recommendations made by Amcham T&T… more
Trinidad telecoms outage affects thousands
Trinidad and Tobago – Thousands of Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) customers were unable to place calls, access mobile data and Internet services for hours yesterday after the provider suffered a widespread network outage… more
Friday, 11 August 2023
Aliv defends service against complaints of fast data loss
Bahamas – ARE you losing data too quickly? The problem could be your phone’s Wi-Fi settings or usage habits, says Dwayne Davis, Chief Information Officer for the Cable Bahamas Group of Companies… more
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried jailed in New York; judge says crypto mogul tampered with witnesses
Bahamas – FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sent to jail Friday to await trial after a bail hearing for the fallen cryptocurrency wiz left a judge convinced that he had repeatedly tried to influence witnesses against him… more
Digital Identity Card Bill passed
Guyana – The National Assembly on Thursday morning passed the Digital Identity Card Bill, to combine biometric data of citizens into one card… more
National Assembly green lights Data Protection Bill
Guyana – The National Assembly on Thursday passed the Data Protection (Amendment) Bill 2023, which aims to protect a person’s right to privacy with respect to the processing of personal data. It provides for the regulation of collection, keeping, processing, use and dissemination of personal data… more
Saturday, 12 August 2023
Digital Identity Card Bill passed with bipartisan support
Guyana – Government’s Digital Identity Card Bill 2023 which seeks to establish a registry of identity data for citizens 14 years and over saw support from both sides of the House on Thursday morning… more
Digital marketing firm One Great Studio announces IPO
Jamaica – Digital marketing company, One Great Studio Limited (1GS), has set its sights on entering the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) with an initial public offering (IPO) scheduled to open on August 28… more
Djuvane Browne: Crafting success through creativity and collaboration
Jamaica – Djuvane Browne, co-founder and CEO of One Great Studio (1GS) has emerged as a trailblazer in the ever-expanding digital design and development landscape in Jamaica and around the world… more
Sunday, 13 August 2023
Data Protection Bill gets parliament’s approval
Guyana – As the Data Protection Bill was read in Parliament on Thursday morning, members of the National Assembly heard that it had been endorsed by both a foreign expert and Guyana’s Law Reform Commission… more
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