T&T Closer To Building Government Data Centre With EU And CAF Grant

Trinidad and Tobago is now one step closer to building its own Government Data Centre following the signing of a Grant Agreement between the European Union, CAF Development Bank, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

The Grant in the sum of €3.255 million, which is TT$24.4 million, is being used to facilitate the implementation of T&T’s Interoperability Platform, e-Identity Programme, and a Government Data Centre, through the Latin America and Caribbean Investment Facility.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert says the Data Centre in particular has been an idea since 2016, noting that the Ministry of Digital Transformation now has the push to take the next step.

“It is simply allowing Government Ministries and departments to share information in a safe and secure manner so you can gather information, you can share information, and it’s encrypted so that people can get into it. You won’t be, hopefully, a victim of ransomware attacks and so on with this.”

Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Dr. Amery Browne, says the Grant would not just be beneficial for this country.

“It will provide for, among other things, the convening of regional workshops with a number of Caribbean pilot countries to enable the free movement of people using facial recognition, so you can see the obvious connections to the free movement regime.”

Minister of Digital Transformation, Hassel Bacchus, emphasised that this Grant would go a long way to helping T&T’s digitalisation thrust.

“We need our international, local, and regional friends to help us along this journey, as we do so for them as well.”

According to the Head of Cooperation of the EU to CARICOM, David Mogollón, the Grant comes with “no strings attached.”

“These 3-million-Euro Grant, no loans, that the EU provides are without anything in return, with no strings attached. This is because we believe in a better digital society and a better world for all.”

CAF said it is finalising the implementation of a feasibility study for the construction of the Tier 4 Government Data Centre.

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