5000 laptops expected in October.

Georgetown- The Government News Agency is this evening reporting that the first shipment of 5000 laptops is expected in the country before the third week of October. According to Labour Minister, Manzoor Nadir,  the one laptop per family initiative is making great strides as they eagerly await the first shipment of laptops for disbursement.
Minister Nadir who has oversight responsibility for the OLPF said , out of the 45000 applicants, they have identified 9000 recipients for the first phase distribution of the laptops, which will begin to come into the country by mid October. He pointed out that a cross-checking exercise was done to verify if the information presented on the applications is authentic. Some six thousand homes within the last 5 weeks have already been verified. The minister said they are also in the process of establishing close to 200 hubs countrywide. These hubs, he related, will be equipped with internet facilities, electricity and desktop computers, among other things.

“We’re expecting that before the laptops arrive more than 70 of these hubs will be operational where NGOs exist with computers and computer labs, teaching facilities we are utilising them, where schools have these facilities we are utilising them.” As outlined in the bid, the minister said, the suppliers are required to supply the first half of the computers within sixty days. As a gift to the government, the minister said, China has committed another 31,000 laptops, worth some $8.3M, which will arrive in the country before the end of the year.

Minister Nadir disclosed that close to six hundred persons have already been trained as trainers of the recipients in the areas of use, care and programmes of the laptops. The training, he noted, will have to be flexible to meet the needs of the recipients. An important component of the programme is the community service. However, he stated it does not require recipients digging drains, sweeping the streets or cleaning the gutters. It involves recipients using their talents to advance their community.