Farmers, Small Entrepreneurs Encouraged to Utilise Community Access Points

Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, is encouraging farmers and small entrepreneurs to utilize Community Access Points (CAPs), to market their products
Dr. Wheatley, who was speaking at Friday’s (March 16) commissioning of the Thompson Town CAP in Clarendon, said farmers and small entrepreneurs should leverage the free internet access provided at these facilities to drive personal and community growth.

In this regard, he said the Thomson Town CAP is strategically located to ensure residents have the opportunity to access its services for wide-ranging productive engagements.

The facility, which was funded and developed by the Universal Service Fund at a cost of $3.8 million, has been outfitted 16 computers, furniture, a projector and screen.

Work was also done to install electrical fixtures on the building housing the facility.

In addition, telecommunications company, Digicel will provide high speed broadband internet service, which will be financed by the USF.

Dr. Wheatley said Thompson Town’s acquisition of a CAP will empower the residents through technology, thereby further opening the community to the world and enabling it to contribute meaningfully to national development.

“Let us use this facility as a driver of economic growth and an accelerator for innovation, as well as growth for the community,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wheatley advised that the Ministry is partnering with HEART Trust/NTA to provide training for persons who are utilizing or will use CAPs of which close to 300 have, to date, been established islandwide.

He said this is part of the Ministry’s undertaking to ensure that all the facilities meet their objective of providing technological knowledge and solutions to residents in communities where CAPs are established.

For his part, May Pen Mayor, Councillor Winston Maragh, who also addressed the ceremony, encouraged the residents to maximize the facility’s provisions so that “Clarendon can get its best share of development.”