Laptop project moving forward despite budget cuts – OP
The One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project will continue despite the opposition parties’ cuts to the National Budget, government stated yesterday.
According to the Office of the President, from where the project is being coordinated, it has opted to continue the short term component of the programme.
During the recent passage of the $192B budget in the National Assembly, the opposition parties which hold a one-seat majority, slashed $21B off, affecting the OLPF programme, among other projects.
“The Office of the President has declared – we will receive and we will continue to distribute the laptops. The Office of the President further states – we are urging residents in areas of distribution to come out to assist and to support the effort to distribute the laptops, subsequent to verification.”
The ruling administration said in the statement that it has contemplated the impact of the opposition budget cuts, specifically on its ICT 4G National Strategy.
“The vision that propelled the One Laptop per Family initiative has been affected by those cuts,” OP insisted.
“The Administration, refusing to be daunted by the most recent anti-development actions of the opposition, has opted to pursue the more short-term component of the initiative, and that is, the verification and the distribution, using support and assistance from stakeholders.”
OP said that it will not allow the unconscionable actions of the political opposition in Parliament to frustrate its ambitions and plans for the future of Guyana and for Guyanese.
“The ICT 4G National Strategy will continue to be enforced.”
Under the programme, government intends to distribute 90,000 laptops to poor families over a three-year period.
The contract for the supply has been awarded to Haier, a Chinese-owned company.