Tweet
Go For It! Paulwell Backs Tufton's Plan To Target ICT Sector To Create New Jobs
Published: Saturday | August 6, 20112 Comments
Arthur Hall, Senior Gleaner Reporter
FORMER TECHNOLOGY minister Phillip Paulwell has applauded the government for its decision to target the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector to speedily create thousands of jobs.
But Paulwell, the Opposition spokesman on technology, has lamented the fact that the Bruce Golding administration is only now looking at this area, almost four years after it defeated the People's National Party and formed the government.
Paulwell has also rejected the claim that his push to create jobs in this sector some 11 years ago was an expensive failure.
"When I left office we had created 14,000 jobs in call centres, plus thousands more in support areas of telecommunications," Paulwell told The Gleaner yesterday.
"Any dispassionate assessment will see that there was success. We brought in US$100 million in cellular licences and J$6 billion from the Universal Access Fund," Paulwell added.
He also pointed to the hundreds of Jamaicans who were trained in ICT and the success of businesses such as the e-Services Group which was headed by Patrick Casserly who is now the point man on the push by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce to create up to 30,000 ICT jobs in the next two to three years.
Published: Saturday | August 6, 20112 Comments
Arthur Hall, Senior Gleaner Reporter
FORMER TECHNOLOGY minister Phillip Paulwell has applauded the government for its decision to target the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector to speedily create thousands of jobs.
But Paulwell, the Opposition spokesman on technology, has lamented the fact that the Bruce Golding administration is only now looking at this area, almost four years after it defeated the People's National Party and formed the government.
Paulwell has also rejected the claim that his push to create jobs in this sector some 11 years ago was an expensive failure.
"When I left office we had created 14,000 jobs in call centres, plus thousands more in support areas of telecommunications," Paulwell told The Gleaner yesterday.
"Any dispassionate assessment will see that there was success. We brought in US$100 million in cellular licences and J$6 billion from the Universal Access Fund," Paulwell added.
He also pointed to the hundreds of Jamaicans who were trained in ICT and the success of businesses such as the e-Services Group which was headed by Patrick Casserly who is now the point man on the push by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce to create up to 30,000 ICT jobs in the next two to three years.
Comment