Guyana, China sign US$8M contract for more computers under OLPF
Guyana and China on Wednesday inked a US$8M contract for the supply of 30,000 computers under the government’s One Laptop per Family(OLPF) initiative.
The agreement was inked between project Manager of China’s National Machinery Corporation David Huang and permanent secretary in the Office of the President Omar Sharif.
Huang said the signing marked the fulfillment of a promise China made to Guyana.
” We will try our best to deliver these computers as soon as possible to the Guyanese government, we will deliver the computers with high quality” Huang said in a brief statement adding that the contract will further strengthen the bilateral ties between China and Guyana.
meanwhile, public relations officer for the OLPF Dario Mc Lennon said so far in excess of 10,000 laptops have already been delivered to poor families who were earning below GY$50,000.
He noted that the programme has now moved into phase 2 which caters for persons earning above GY$50,000 for which distribution will commence in a matter of weeks .
“all in all this project is moving head and as indicated by the Head of the Presidential Secretariat last week in a statement that it also represents the commitment, fulfillment of the promise made to the people of Guyana, that regardless of the constraints faced us as a nation now within the budgetary framework, that the government is prepared to push ahead with this commitment made to the people of Guyana” Mc Lennon said.
The OLPF initiative was the brain child of former President Bharrat Jagdeo and aims to deliver 90,000 laptops to families across the country over the next two years.