The Pursuit of Development and Poverty Reduction through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Trinidad and Tobago

• Published in: Journal of eastern Caribbean studies Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 23 - 49
• Main Author: Franklin, Martin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cave Hill Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies 01.06.2007
• Subjects: Developing countries; Development strategies; Economic development; Employment creation; Human capital; Information and communication technologies; Information technology; Oil resources; Planning; Poverty; Poverty alleviation; Poverty relief; Skilled workers; Studies; Trinidad and Tobago; United Nations; Trinidad & Tobago
• ISSN: 1028-8813

The United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing extreme poverty by 2015 remains relevant in Trinidad and Tobago despite this country's strong economic performance. Trinidad and Tobago is currently challenged to diversify its export base away from its narrow dependence on crude oil, refined petroleum products and petrochemicals, generate the employment necessary to absorb the country's workforce, and redress the shortfall in the required education and skills of its labour force for competing in the knowledge economy of the 2lst century. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago in its Medium Term Policy Outlook for 2004-2006 identified the achievement of developed nation status by the year 2020 as the principal developmental goal of the country, and a National ICT Plan as one of the strategies for achieving this goal. This paper reviews the Trinidad and Tobago NICT Plan, and assesses it in terms of its capability to enable development and poverty reduction. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]