…US$295 is an estimated cost - Minister Webster

…US$295 is an estimated cost – Minister Webster

Feb 04, 2011 News

Minister Jennifer Webster

– no specification or tender as yet

The government is still to tender for the computers for the one laptop per family (OLPF) programme. The government has already voted $1.8 billion for this year.
Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jennifer Webster, said that the government will be importing and distributing 27,000 computers this year. By the time the entire programme ends, 90,000 computers would be distributed countrywide.
When she responded to questions in the National Assembly, Minister Webster had stated that each computer would cost $295,000. One day later, she returned to the National Assembly to apologise. She had made a mistake, she said.
She then reported that each computer would cost US$295. However, the supply of computers has not yet gone to tender.
Yesterday, Webster said that the price quoted, US$295, is an estimate. The unit cost could be less. The government is still to decide on the specifications and it is this that is holding up the tender process.
From the time the programme was launched, reporters have been trying to ascertain the specification of the computers.
Minister Webster also said that while there is still a lot to be done the unit cost for the programme would be determined by the cable that would be run from Lethem to Diamond and from Moleson Creek, Corentyne, to Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.
The cable has attracted an initial cost of US$30 million. Then there would be the cost of the hubs that would allow for wireless internet and the other accessories that would be needed to make the programme a success.
The laptop programme would enhance the government’s ICT programme. What is not clear is whether the government would purchase netbooks or laptops. President Jagdeo had stated laptops when he launched the programme. It is for this reason that the programme is named one laptop per family. Laptops are markedly different from the Notebook and the Netbook. The latter has no CD port.
Notebooks and Netbooks are cheaper than laptops, largely because of the specifications. They also have smaller hard drives and not as many accessories as laptops.
And Office of the President has claimed that Kaieteur News was wrong when it reported that OP “reportedly bought 20 Lenovo G550 computers at US$585 each.”
“This is false and misleading and is in keeping with the clear agenda of the Kaieteur News to disparage development projects being put in place by the Guyana Government to benefit all Guyanese,” Office of the President stated.
Five Lenovo G560 computers were in fact bought for the OLPF office at a cost of US$699 each for use by staff and are not for distribution under the project, it added.