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| Written by jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, 15 July 2009 LIVEHOPELOVE.COM, a website about living with AIDS in Jamaica, has been nominated in the United States for a prestigious Emmy award - the television equivalent of the Oscars. The nomination for LiveHopeLove.com was announced by the non-profit Pulitzer Centre, which produced the project with support from the MAC AIDS Fund, and is in the category 'New approaches to news and documentary programming: Arts, lifestyle and culture'. The multimedia website is based upon the 'HOPE: Living and loving with AIDS in Jamaica' project by Ghanian-Jamaican writer and poet Kwame Dawes, who is also the programme director of the Calabash International Literary Festival held each year in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth. LiveHopeLove.com previously won an art award at the Webby's, which honours the Internet industry.Dawes project has also inspired a performance, Wisteria & HOPE, to be premiered at the National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina August 6 and 7. Full story |
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| Written by TechJamaica.com
Tuesday, 14 July 2009 Following on its recent launch of Jamaica’s fastest 3G mobile service, LIME has announced the roll out of 8Mb internet service packages and price cuts up to 24% on its residential packages to make internet service more affordable and accessible across the country. The telecoms provider is pumping US $5million into a major upgrade of its internet infrastructure to bring its customers faster speeds and more reliable service. The upgrade project, which will run from now until September, will allow LIME to begin offering an 8MB service package in select areas. Through to September LIME will be introducing its 8Mb offering in Portmore, Montego Bay and communities across Kingston and St. Andrew. Customers will now enjoy an enhanced internet experience as the additional speed will facilitate faster access to many of their favourite online activities including online gaming, shopping, downloading music and movies, social networking, picture sharing, video streaming and much more. “LIME is now offering 8Mb in selected areas and by the time our upgrade project is finished in September we will be offering 8Mb in most of the residential areas where we have high internet traffic and this will give our customers more than enough speed for all their favourite online activities,” said Geoff Houston, Country Manager for LIME in Jamaica. “We are making a major investment to improve our internet backbone to give our customers world class internet service with faster speeds and consistent, reliable connectivity,” he added. Full story |
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| Published: Thursday | July 2, 2009
The University of the West Indies (UWI) on Tuesday, launched a social networking site geared towards forging relationships among its alumni. Dubbed Alumni Online, the site will facilitate new business contacts and create a skill database on its past students. The portal, www.alumnionline.uwi.edu, was launched by the university's Institutional Advancement Division (IAD). Free to UWI graduates "Alumni Online is free to all UWI graduates," said Celia Davidson Francis, director of alumni relations. "They are welcome to browse the site, which gives information about such things as the 16 UWI Caribbean countries, the UWI Alumni Association chapters and events, the Student Alumni Programme and Points of Pride. Graduates can create their own personal profile page, upload photos, send messages, create blogs and more. Online donations are also possible." The IAD, a division of the Office of the Vice-chancellor, works to create opportunities for alumni of the entire regional institution. Brigitte Collins, the university's chief information, communication and technology officer and her team, have been credited for the interactive site. Full story |
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| Published: Thursday | July 2, 2009
Nadisha Hunter, Gleaner Writer An enthusiastic Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Microsoft Imagine Cup Software team left the island yesterday to compete in the world final in Cairo, Egypt, after grabbing the top titles in three qualification rounds. The NCU team of Shawn McLean, Trevor Williams, Derron Brown and Dwayne Samuels, under the guidance of coaches Halzen Smith and Henry Osborne, outdesigned the teams in the National, Caribbean and Central and South American competitions for university students. Going International They were crowned national champions after defeating the University of Technology team earlier this year. They then moved on to the Caribbean, where Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago were among their competitors and, after emerging as the Caribbean winner, they whupped the top teams from South and Central America in the multi-country Americas round. The team, which is representing Latin America in the world final, will go up against 66 countries in the software development category from July 3-8. Very confident Osborne said he was confident the team would be victorious as the members had done their homework following the preliminary rounds. "We have a good project and I know that it will stand out in this competition," he said. "In addition, we have done our research on the other teams, so we are looking at what aspect of our project we can sell more to make it really stand out to the judges." Team member Samuels said he was elated that the team had reached the final stage and that, with hard work and their usual devoted effort, they would command the top spot in the competition. To eradicate poverty This year, Microsoft instructed the Imagine Cup teams to address one of the eight United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals. The NCU team is focusing on developing software which will help address UN Millennium Development Goal number one, which is to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty. This year's theme is 'Imagine A World Where Technology Helps Solve The Toughest Problems Facing Us Today'. The Northern Caribbean University Imagine Cup team of (from left) Henry Osborne, coach, Derron Brown, Shawn McLean, Dwayne Samuels, Trevor Williams and Halzen Smith, coach, prepare to leave the island for Egypt from the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer nadisha.hunter@gleanerjm.com Full story |
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| By Richard Adhikari
TechNewsWorld 07/01/09 4:00 AM PT While the top-of-the-line smartphones of today rely on third-generation wireless networks, carriers are looking ahead to 4G networks, which will facilitate even faster data transfers to and from wireless devices. WiMax and LTE are two of the more talked-about technologies, but their development paths are vary and they may end up doing different jobs. Though most major U.S. wireless carriers today tout the ubiquity of their third-generation, or 3G, wireless networks, they are simultaneously planning for the future, pushing the development of fourth-generation (4G) networks that they hope we'll all be using in a matter of years. Two of the best-known 4G technologies now on the horizon are WiMax, or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access; and LTE, or Long Term Evolution. However, these two different technologies will likely take different paths in their development and eventually be used for different applications. Although WiMax is currently being rolled out and LTE is still in an earlier development stage, LTE perhaps stands a better chance to win out as the technology of choice for cell phones; WiMax, on the other hand, will serve more as a wireless broadband network. Tech Details of WiMax There are two types of WiMax technology: Fixed WiMax and mobile WiMax. Fixed WiMax is based on the 802.16-2004 standard, also known as "802.16d." It does not support mobility -- it's used for fixed wireless networks. Mobile WiMax is based on 802-16e-2005, an amendment to 802.16-2004. It is also known as "802.16e." WiMax can be used to provide a wireless alternative to cable and DSL for what carriers call "last mile" broadband access -- the final part of connectivity from the carrier to the consumer. WiMax is also used in disaster recovery situations. Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) More about Intel donated WiMax wireless equipment for deployment in Louisiana to help rescue workers after the state was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, for example. The California Department of Transportation jointly deployed a WiMax system with the California Highway Patrol on California State Route 99 in the San Joaquin Valley to provide drivers with real-time speed and visibility information to reduce the impact of the area's thick fog. Tech Details of LTE LTE is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) being worked on by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The 3GPP is a group of telecommunications standards bodies. Its scope is to maintain and develop technical specifications for GSM, including evolved radio access technologies such as the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE). GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communication. It is the most widely used cellphone communication standard today. LTE will support seamless connection to existing networks such as GSM, CDMA-1, W-CDMA, UMTS, and CDMA2000, all of which are in use. It supports peak download rates of up to 326.4 Mbps (megabits per second) for every 20 MHz of spectrum; peak upload rates of 86.4 Mbps for every 20 MHz of spectrum; and offers increased spectrum flexibility to maximize the number of users on a carrier network. WiMax on the Ground WiMax is deployed today, Godfrey Chua, a research manager at IDC, told TechNewsWorld. However, its main applicability is in developing broadband over wireless services in emerging countries. "It's much more cost effective to put up a WiMax-based system in a developing country rather than digging up the ground and putting in copper lines," Chua said. In the U.S., where 3G services are common, WiMax may end up being an alternative to DSL. Sprint (NYSE: S) More about Sprint Nextel has some WiMax networks in various cities in the U.S. "Right now, the value proposition for WiMax is it's a little bit faster than 3G service from Verizon More about Verizon or AT&T (NYSE: T) More about AT&T, but it's cheaper," Chua said. "It's a little more expensive than DSL, but you can get service outside of your home." Navigating The Tangled WiMax Web This is where things get complicated. Sprint had its own 4G unit, Xohm, which it merged with Clearwire to form a new corporation, also called "Clearwire," to speed the deployment of WiMax. Clearwire has a wireless broadband service in parts of the U.S. and Europe. This is based on the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) More about Motorola Licensed Point-to-Multipoint Expedience system, which is part of the MOTOwi4 family of products. p> Sprint holds a 51 percent interest in the new Clearwire. Existing Clearwire shareholders got 27 percent of the new company, and a consortium consisting of Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSK) More about Comcast, Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) Cable, Intel, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) More about Google and Bright House invested $3.2 billion for the remaining 22 percent of the new company's shares. Sprint and Clearwire each have their own 4G network. On June 29, Comcast announced that it launched WiMax service in Portland, Ore., over Clearwire's network as part of a nationwide high-speed wireless data service. Sprint's Xohm division launched WiMax in Baltimore in the fall of 2008, prior to the merger forming the new Clearwire, and Sprint has a plan to roll out WiMax service nationwide over time. "This summer, Sprint will offer Sprint 4G branded WiMax in Portland as well," Sprint spokesperson Stephanie Vinge-Walsh told TechNewsWorld. "We will launch Sprint 4G in Atlanta this summer and plan to launch Sprint 4G in Philadelphia sometime in 2009." Other markets where Sprint will roll out 4G under its own brand this year include Las Vegas; Chicago; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Honolulu; and Seattle. In 2010, Sprint will roll out its branded 4G service to New York; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Houston, Texas; and the San Francisco Bay Area, Vinge-Walsh said. The Global Picture Worldwide, there are almost 460 WiMax networks deployed in 135 countries, covering 435 million people. Vinge-Walsh said the coverage is expected to grow to 800 million people by the end of 2010. "There is an ecosystem of other companies that has converged around WiMax globally: Intel; Samsung; Motorola; Google; ZTE; Zyxel," Vinge-Walsh pointed out. "Clearwire has partnered with these companies to develop the ecosystem and technology to create the WiMax infrastructure." Intel and WiMax Chip manufacturer Intel has invested heavily in WiMax over the years. Last month, it announced that it has invested US$43 million in UQ Communications, a provider of WiMax mobile services in Japan. UQ is building a nationwide WiMax network there. Intel has worked with carriers around the world on building WiMax networks and has developed a combined WiMax/WiFi module, formerly code-named "Echo Peak," as part of the WiMax-WiFi Link 5050 Series. This is an optional feature for Intel Centrino 2-based laptops. WiMax's capabilities as a wireless broadband technology have led many computer manufacturers to include WiMax cards as a standard feature in their laptops. These vendors include Acer More about Acer, Asus, Lenovo More about Lenovo and Toshiba More about Toshiba. Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) More about Dell, Panasonic More about Panasonic, Samsung More about Samsung and Sony (NYSE: SNE) More about Sony also plan to offer laptops with built-in WiMax capabilities this year. Where in the World Is LTE? LTE is a little further off than WiMax, but it's on its way. "Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile USA More about T-Mobile have already committed to LTE, so it's just a matter of choosing LTE infrastructure providers, defining the LTE specs, rolling out the LTE network and so on," Julien Blin, CEO and principal analyst at JBB Research, told TechNewsWorld. Verizon's biggest single shareholder is UK carrier Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) More about Vodafone, the second largest mobile operator in the world. Verizon's size and its decision to go the path of LTE changed the dynamics of the market. "When Verizon decided it would move towards LTE rather than UMB, which was the CDMA path, that prompted Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) More about Alcatel-Lucent and other technology companies to create a path of interoperability between CDMA and LTE," IDC's Chua said. This freed up a lot of money for research and development that would otherwise have been spent on developing UMB equipment. The Future By the fourth quarter of 2010, Verizon may begin deploying LTE networks, Ashvin Vellody, Yankee Group's senior vice president of enabling technologies, told TechNewsWorld. Other operators will follow, he predicted. Sprint might be one of those, Blin said. "Remember, Verizon, a CDMA carrier, is set to migrate towards LTE; we're likely to see other CDMA carriers, including Sprint, following suit to benefit from the economies of scale." Several handset makers have already begun working on developing devices to run on LTE networks. Once LTE networks are in place, the handsets should move well, Blin said. Although LTE will be the eventual path for most wireless carriers, they will implement LTE differently, Yankee Group's Vellody said. "Each carrier and operator will think about its financial position, business strategy Grow Your Business-Fast! Sign up for a FREE trial of Infusionsoft and double your sales in 12 months., and the availability and acquisition of spectrum," he explained. "Those are the three key factors impacting what operators decide to do with LTE." Full story |
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| Written by jamaica-gleaner.com
Sunday, 28 June 2009 Jamaica's largest commercial banks are reporting a significant growth in the number of customers resorting to online banking, a free service. The trend suggests a direct response to banks' increasing service charges, which represent billions in annual revenues for the big two - Scotiabank and National Commercial Bank (NCB). Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica (BNS), which upgraded its online service in the first quarter of this year, has already seen a 25 per cent jump in the use of online banking only halfway through year, according to Maya Walrond, senior vice-president of customer experience at the institution. Some 37,000, or 10 per cent, of its active customers use the e-banking service of the bank, which is the local sector leader in deposits. NCB, the largest bank by assets, is reporting that e-banking represented 46 per cent of all transactions in May this year, up from 42 per cent recorded in January. Together, BNS and NCB control 70 per cent of the commercial banking market. easier than telephone banking "As more people get access to Internet , more are using it as their primary way of banking. It is the easiest of all our channels, even easier than telephone banking," said Walrond. She is quick to underscore the savings being realised by those who bank online. "They are saving the fees they would normally pay for transactions within a branch, bill-payment charges and most important, they are saving time. They also get the additional convenience of being able to do their banking normally pay for transition within a branch, bill-payment charges, and most important, they are saving time. They also get the additional convenience of being able to do their banking anywhere, any time," she told the Sunday Business. According to the bank officer, the most popular use to which BNS customers put the bank's online system is to "check whether their money is still there, and making sure that transactions are accurate." Meanwhile, Claudette Rodriguez, assistant general manager of the card services and e-channels unit at NCB, said during the January to May period, the bulk of online transactions were for the transfer of funds between accounts, an activity which grew 15 per cent. NCB also offers transfers free through telebanking, while BNS charges $12 per transaction. second-most popular NCB also said its online portal or e-banking facility was second-most popular for the payment of bills, which saw a 35 per cent rise over the same period. Utility bill-payment costs $140 at NCB, but is free online. Scotiabank discontinued the service about a year or more ago. Only a minority - 36 per cent - of users who log on to NCB's e-banking service actually do a transaction, leaving the bank official to speculate that the other 64 per cent are checking bank balances or utilising the email option to make service requests. Last year, several banks, including BNS and NCB, embarked on the aggressive marketing of their e-banking services. But the growth in the number of persons turning to banks' free online services could threaten bank profits in coming years. Last year, for example, NCB raked in $5.9 billion in fees and commissions charged against customers' accounts for transactions with the bank, but spent only $1.2 billion on their collection. The upshot is that for every dollar of fee/commission income collected, the bank retains just under 80 cents as profit. penalty charges In the case of Scotibank, it spent $1 billion to collect $4.86 billion in fees - retaining 78 cents as profit. Its fees as a proportion of operating profit was 29 per cent; for NCB it was 44 per cent. A sampling of bank charges, contained in a recent survey done by the Consumer Affairs Commission and released earlier this week, revealed no standardisation of fees among the banks. For example, closure of an account within 90 days attracted penalty charges ranging from a low of $356 at FirstCaribbean International Bank, to a high of $2,000 at First Global Bank. Interest charged on overdraft ranged from a low of 21.5 per cent, charged by BNS, to a high of 50 per cent, charged by First Global. Five of Jamaica's seven commercial banks participated in the survey - BNS, FirstCaribbean Jamaica, First Global, NCB and RBTT Bank. Citibank NA and Pan Caribbean Bank Limited did not. Banking officials believe the growth in the use of their online service will continue to increase as customers overcome security concerns. "Security in the past was one of the hurdles, but now they know the system is a world-class system in terms of world-class protocols." said Walrond. Full story |
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| Written by jamaica-gleaner.com
Wednesday, 24 June 2009 Prime Minister Bruce Golding yesterday scoffed at a repeated request from the People's National Party (PNP) to roll back the 16.5 per cent general consumption tax imposed on computers and computer parts. The Government had imposed the tax in April, a move for which it was sharply criticised. Speaking in the 2009-2010 Sectoral Debate in Parliament yesterday, Phillip Paulwell, opposition spokesman on energy and telecommunications, said the decision by the PNP administration five years ago, to abolish the tax on computers, was "a most enlightened step". He said the reimposition of the tax is "a most retrograde step". "I hope the minister of finance will come back to this House shortly to report that the expected revenues are not being materialised as people are no longer purchasing computers and move to, once and for all, abolish the tax again," Paulwell said. However, Golding was moved to comment while Paulwell was still on his feet. "Roll back? All the banks and insurance companies too ... you see how much profit they made last year ... over $1 billion," the prime minister muttered from his seat. He added: "No, it will not be abolished. Poor people pay too much taxes." Government in April imposed a tax on computer and computer parts as a means or raising revenue for the national coffers. Items being purchased by an approved educational institution are not subject to the tax. Full story |
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| Written by jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, 24 June 2009 On Monday, OneFi Technology Inc announced that it is closer to commencing deployment of wireless internet technology in Jamaica having completed what the company said was a successful trip to the country recently. OneFi obtained a licence to deploy its systems in late 2008 - "the trip was the final step to move forward with the start of deployment on the island", said a company release. The island represents a possibility of OneFi providing service to a significant number of underserved customers. Company spokesman, Alvin Pearson said, "I am a native of Jamaica and the technology which OneFi offers is fabulous. It will help to expand communications between my native country and The United States. I am thrilled to be a part of this project." Full story |
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| Written by TechJamaica.com
Tuesday, 23 June 2009 LIME, the Caribbean’s only full service telecoms provider is taking the mobile game to a new level with the launch of Jamaica’s fastest, most modern 3G Network. LIME customers in the greater Kingston area now have access to a wide range of advanced features and services, including high speed internet, from their 3G compatible mobile phones. Work on the US$40-million project began in the middle of last year in conjunction with Ericsson, and involved the transformation of the company’s pre-existing core mobile network. The LIME 3G network uses HSPA technology (High Speed Packet Access), which means customers can enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless services. It also gives LIME the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services which means that customers can make a call while viewing or sending an email; or surf the web and download an MP3 file at the same time. LIME customers with 3G compatible mobile devices will also be able to enjoy: • Fast and easy access to multimedia content from devices like mobile phones, PDA’s and laptops • Mobile access to video streaming and social networking sites • Super fast web browsing on mobile handsets • Sending, receiving and downloading multimedia content including video, music, graphics, data and photographs while on the go • The ability to send and receive large e-mail messages • Mobile broadband with high speed up to 3.6Mbps LIME customers also have a wide range of 3G devices to choose from including mobile handsets, and USB modems. LIME currently offers several 3G compatible handsets and other devices including the feature rich BlackBerry Bold, Huawei E166 USB Modem, the HTC Touch Diamond, Nokia 5610, Nokia 6120, Sony Ericsson W705 and the Sony Ericsson C510. Country Manager for LIME in Jamaica, Geoff Houston said, “We are delighted to be able to offer our customers Jamaica’s fastest 3G mobile service which will totally revolutionise what a mobile phone can do. 3G literally puts the power of the Internet in the palm of our customers’ hands and this will change the way we live, work and play.” Niklas Heuveldop, President of Ericsson Central America and Caribbean, says: “We are proud to extend our global partnership with LIME with this important mobile broadband project. Ericsson looks forward to continue supporting LIME in the development of innovative 3G applications and content in support of LIME’s vision”. Full story |
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| Written by jamaica-gleaner.com
Tuesday, 23 June 2009 Education Minister Andrew Holness has announced plans to roll out the Jamaica Schools Administrative System (JSAS) software in more than 600 schools islandwide. This, he said, is to equip administrators with the tools to make informed decisions regarding effective management and timely performance measurements at all levels within these institutions. The JSAS, which was developed by the education ministry with support from the United States Agency for International Develop-ment (USAID), assists schools in capturing data on student enrol-ment, academic performance and behaviour, as well as the scheduling and planning of activities. Speaking on June 18 at the formal handover of a computer laboratory at the Penwood High School in Kingston, which was outfitted by the e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited, Holness expressed concern that some high schools were not adequately using the technology. "We have decided to deploy this software in 600 schools. All high schools will be required to use this software. "We have also selected various primary and junior high schools, and all-age schools as well, to use this software. It is the first step in getting administrators in our education system accustomed to measuring performance," the minister said. Older Version Holness pointed out that the older Version 6 format, which is deployed in the schools, will be rolled out first to facilitate familiarisation with the software over one year. "We will then launch the newer Version 7, which is web-enabled, which means that the programme will not be resident on the computer. Rather, the schools will need to have Internet access in order to use the software," he added. The minister pointed out that the newer programme format, in addition to benefiting the schools, will facilitate the ministry accessing real-time information on developments in the institutions. "So when schools use this software, and they enter data into the computer, the ministry will be seeing that data in real time. "We can then take data from a national perspective, and we will be able to see, through the creation of a dashboard of performance, which schools are doing well in various areas, and which are doing poorly," Holness said. Penwood High School is the 100th secondary institution to be fully outfitted with computer technology by e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited. The school's laboratory has been furnished with a range of equipment, inclusive of 55 desktop and 20 laptop computers; scanners; digital cameras; televisions; multimedia projectors and screens. The company has already assisted with the installation of computer laboratories at some 143 schools islandwide. Full story |
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| Garfield Myers
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 Mandeville, Manchester - Sharon Roper, marketing manager of the integrated communication technologies company, Flow, has accused sections of the Jamaican news media of "irresponsible journalism" for what she says were baseless reports in recent weeks that her company had been sold or was in the process of being sold to telecoms company Claro. Reiterating that Flow was not up for sale, Roper claimed the media reports - which, she suggested, were not attributed to any source - were potentially damaging to business since they created unwarranted uncertainty in the marketplace. "We found it a very interesting exercise in suss, because the first article that ever appeared did not reference a quote (source) from neither Flow nor any of Flow's shareholders, nor Claro," Roper told Mandeville Rotarians at the Golf View Hotel recently. "Yet this piece of gossip was repeated and repeated and repeated by reputable journalists without referencing a quote," she added. Columbus Communications Company (CCC), the Caricom-based entity which trades as Flow, is currently barred from disposing any of its assets under a court injunction secured by the former owners of three companies acquired by CCC. But Roper made it clear that "Flow is not for sale. We are not in negotiations with Claro to purchase Flow nor have anybody in Flow nor Claro ever said that to any journalist ever (but) as businessmen you will know it is also very dangerous and damaging to businesses. "If the client feels that you are under threat of acquisition. It is actually not a good thing, it is actually quite a bad thing and irresponsible journalism to see that just perpetuated." Roper said. She was in Mandeville to explain aspects of Flow's "build-out" of its integrated fibre-optic (broad-band) cable, Internet and telephone services across Jamaica. She claimed that despite challenges, including the difficult Jamaican terrain, Flow was still aiming to meet its business target of providing service within reach of "every Jamaican home" by 2011. The "cutting-edge" nature of the technology being used meant the very "labour-intensive build-out" had so far been slow. But, she said, Flow currently covered 50 per cent of the Jamaican population. There was full "triple play services" including cable, Internet and landline telephone in Kingston, Mandeville, and Portmore while digital cable service was already in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril, St Mary and Lucea. Canadian John Risley is a majority shareholder in Columbus Communications. Jamaican/Canadian investor Michael Lee Chin, whose name has been commonly associated with ownership and control of Flow, holds less than 25 per cent of the company. Full story |
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| Written by jamaica-gleaner.com
Wednesday, 20 May 2009 Minister of Education Andrew Holness has indicated that the Government will scrutinise all applications for tax exemptions on computers to safeguard against fraud and abuse at Jamaican schools. "I am very much cognisant of the fact that people will try to breach the system and I could never tell the nation that we have a foolproof system," Holness told The Gleaner. "What I can guarantee the nation is that we have put in place the necessary mechanism to scrutinise every single application to make sure they meet the criteria that these computers are for educational purposes or for the benefit of private educational development." Computers and related accessories were among the new items announced last month by the Government that would attract general consumption tax (GCT) of 16.5 per cent. GCT has been waived on computers sourced by schools either for the general student population or for home use by students. Since the announcement, there have been increased calls from sector leaders and the Opposition to reverse tax measures on the equipment. Holness argued that the Government has an obligation to make sure that the system is corruption-free. "Already we have given approval for recognised institutions when they have to purchase computers, particularly when these computers are coming in either on a concessionary basis or on a charity basis, to apply to the Ministry of Education and the ministry will vet and then issue its approval to the Ministry of Finance, which then issues the necessary waiver." Corruption unlikely But Nadine Molloy, president of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, dismissed suggestions that the system is susceptible to corruption. She said all schools have to give account for computer purchases, so the likelihood of breaches was remote. "I can't see how corruption can happen. Unless a computer is stolen after it is placed in the school, there is no way that persons can get computers through the schools," she argued. Molloy added: "There is a pro-curement guideline that school administrations have to follow in order to purchase the equipment, so I don't see how it is possible, I really don't see." Full story |
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