Caribbean policy response to the information age: a review of government information and communications technology policy and services in selected Caribbean countries

Abstract

Caribbean governments have been reacting to the phenomenon that is the Information Age with a variety of policy initiatives. Initially governments trained most of their efforts at facilitating the development of an informatics industry, drawn there by the promise of jobs and foreign exchange earnings. However, the motives for these policy interventions have evolved over time and as a consequence, policy has matured. This paper, which is descriptive rather than analytical, draws heavily on statements made by government decision makers. It attempts to provide an overview of some of the major activities undertaken by some Caribbean governments and regional organizations in a real and serious attempt to seize the digital opportunity provided by the Internet and the other technological applications which this technology has spawned. Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are included in this review. Information on Grenada, based exclusively on available documentation is also included.