It will represent the first in a series of regulatory measures being introduced by the government to provide a structured platform for the future development of electronic business.  "We have a tremendous asset that can be used by everybody in almost every situation.  It is an asset that has the potential to bring us to a new age of prosperity, if we use it well and wisely," said minister of industry, technology, energy and commerce, Phillip Paulwell.

The proposed new legislation will facilitate Internet transactions, ensure the protection of intellectual property rights and pave the way for the establishment of an institution to authenticate electronic signatures, he recently told the Jamaica Computer Society's annual conference, Biztech Forum 2006, at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios.

After many years, there was consensus on the e-Transaction legislation, and this would be followed shortly by the Cyber Crimes Law, the minister added.

He said the revised Telecommunications Policy was also being finalised and would provide for the institution of one regulator under which the functions of agencies such as the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and the Spectrum Management Authority were being merged.  Other initiatives highlighted by the minister included a series of consultations to address Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and universal service.

To this end, he said the e-Government agenda had to enable citizens "to eliminate unnecessary intermediaries and wasteful information collection, speed up service delivery and transform the way public sector organisations operate".

Corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and managers in the public and private sectors were increasingly aware of the need to relate the value and contribution of ICT to business performance, Paulwell said, noting that the time had also come for government to offer more assistance to companies in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.  He added that definitive action would be taken in this regard in November.

"We believe a percentage of large contracts should be affirmed to local businesses, and that's where we are heading," he asserted.

He noted that there was significant growth in the local IT sector, with the three largest telecommunications companies investing a total US$144 million for the year ending March 2006.

Total network capital investments for these companies amount to approximately US$1.36 billion or J$88 billion from the start of the liberalisation process in 2000 to the end of March 2006.

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