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Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 30, 2020 (SKNIS): Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, said that it is important to review legislation and policies as they are key to achieving full digital transformation in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“We understand that in order for us to achieve full digital transformation, it means that we will have to review our key policies and legislation, and so we are in the process of undergoing a review of our current legislation that we would have had in place, many of which are scattered across a number of different legislation,” said Minister Byron-Nisbett during her participation at the 5^th Caribbean Economic Forum on October 27.

Minister Byron-Nisbett said it is important to identify amendments that would allow for the standardization of various regulations including the Data Protection Act, the Interception of Communications Act, Electronic Crimes, and the Freedom of Information Act.

“We also understand that there is going to be that need for more targeted digital legislation to ensure that our laws enable us to transform in a way that would be successful for us. And in that vein, just recently our government would have tabled in Parliament our new Electronic Communications Act to help us to modernize the legislation for our growing electronic communications sector,” said the ICT Minister.

The Bill is intended to replace the Telecommunications Act and “provide a more upgraded regulatory framework for our Telecommunications and ICT sectors,” she added.

Minister Byron-Nisbett said it important to note that St. Kitts and Nevis is on a path that is going to bear fruits.

“There is quite a bit that St. Kitts and Nevis is doing. We have been trying to do some digitization while we work towards our digital transformation and, of course, we are just going to make sure that the foundation, that is our strategies, are in place. We have to make sure that our security is in place, but we are moving towards ensuring that once we are digitally transformed, it would be a successful one,” said the minister.

To date, in the Federation’s digitization process, a website was launched for the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs where all laws were placed in an online database making them easily accessible. A digital Land Registry is also being developed to make it easier to perform searches on Titles, as well as track the registration process. Also important to note, is the digitization of the health sector. A robust Health Management Information System will ensure that all government health service offerings are digitized and that medical records are available for patients wherever within the public health system that they access care.