Jamaica’s and Guyana’s governments interested in following the footsteps of e-Estonia

Education, Youth and Information Minister Senator Ruel Reid (right) greets executive director of the e-Governance Academy in Estonia, Dr Arvo Ott, while Inter-American Development Bank Representative for Jamaica and Caribbean Country Department General Manager Therese Turner- Jones makes the introduction. (Photo: JIS, Jamaican observer) 

Last week, Arvo Ott visited Guyana and Jamaica to give a thorough overview of Estonian e-governance to high level officials, entrepreneurs and representatives from civil society during multiple presentations and meetings. The subjects were focused on development of information society and its influence towards major development changes, modernization of governance and on technical aspects of establishing public e-services.

Guyana’s Minister of Public Telecommunications, Ms Catherine Hughes and Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Mr Andrew Holness, were among the officials Arvo Ott met. Both ministers expressed deep interest in receiving consultations from e-Governance Academy while developing their countries digital identity and interoperability framework as Estonian model fits well with their intentions.

In cooperation with local Inter-American Development Bank, Jamaica has already started creating a secure digital identity solution, which will lead the way for e-governance.