Kingstown, May 11th, 2016- St. Vincent and the Grenadines will join the rest of the world to commemorate World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) celebrated annually on May 17th. This special day marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865 which led to the creation of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The purpose of the WTISD is “to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other Information Communication Technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.” In accordance with Resolution 68 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010), the theme for this year’s WTISD is “ICT entrepreneurship for social impact”.

This year, this country joins with the ITU member countries to focus attention on ICT entrepreneurs and start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have a particularly relevant role in ensuring economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

To commemorate this day, the Information Technology Services Division within the Ministry of Economic Planning, Sustainable Development, Industry, Information and Labour will be hosting an exhibition at the Heritage Square on Tuesday, 17th May, 2016 which will run from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. This event will commence with an opening ceremoney at 10am and will feature speeches from representatives from the Ministry of Economic Planning and from the Business community. 

The Department will also host a panel discussion on NBC Radio’s Views on Issue Programme on Sunday, May 15th from 11am – 1pm, and a workshop for entrepreneurs on Thursday May 19th, 2016.