The trinidad government to make 10 million dollars off of saint lucia through a laptop procurement agreement

1. THE
TRINIDAD
GOVERNMENT
TO
MAKE
10
MILLION
DOLLARS
OFF
OF
SAINT
LUCIA
THROUGH
A
LAPTOP
PROCUREMENT
AGREEMENT.
COULDN'T
A
LOCAL
COMPANY
LIKE
J.E
BERGASSE
BE
CONTRACTED
HENCE
GIVING
A
BOOST
TO
OUR
LOCAL
ECONOMY?
The
Ministry
of
Education
(Trinidad)
has
signed
a
Memorandum
of
Understanding
(MoU)
with
the
Government
of
St.
Lucia
to
provide
laptops
to
the
students
of
St.
Lucia.
Education
Minister,
Dr.
Tim
Gopeesingh
and
St.
Lucian
Minister
of
Education
Human
Resources
Development
and
Labour,
Dr
Robert
K
Lewis
signed
the
MoU
at
the
Capital
Plaza,
Port
of
Spain.
Through
this
procurement
agreement,
Government
of
Trinidad
and
Tobago
stands
to
make
close
to
$10
million.
Gopeesingh
stated
that
the
entire
process
had
been
open
and
transparent
and
ensured
that
the
St
Lucian
Government
stands

2. committed
to
pay
for
every
unit,
which
are
priced
at
$2,780.
The
laptops
had
been
purchased
through
the
Central
Tenders
Board
and
had
been
very
"open
and
transparent".
Gopeesingh
was
also
pleased
to
note
that
the
Government
had
saved
as
much
as
$400
per
unit
this
year
for
local
students,
adding
that
there
has
been
a
decrease
in
cost
each
year
over
the
four
year
period
since
the
start
of
the
initiative.
He
noted
that
St
Lucia
was
on
board
with
availing
its
students
of
laptops
right
behind
other
Caribbean
islands
such
as
St
Vincent
and
Barbados.
Other
countries,
such
as
Russia,
Uruguay
and
presently
Argentina
have
made
similar
arrangements
to
equip
their
students
with
access
to
on-­‐hand
individual
technology.
Gopeesingh
assured
that
part
of
the
arrangement
also
included
technical
assistance
when
and
if
needed
by
the
St
Lucian
Government.
In
fact
a
team
from
St
Lucia,
he
said,
had
met
with
his
technical
team
recently.
While
students
here
are
given
the
laptops
in
form
one,
Lewis
noted
that
his
Government
would
distribute
theirs
to
some
3,300
form
four
students.
He
explained
that
form
four
students
are
preparing
for
the
CSEC
examinations
and
would
be
most
in
need
of
access
to
the
laptops,
considering
the
number
of
School
Based
Assessments
(SBAs)
they
are
assigned.
Lewis
said
his
Government
decided
to
procure
the
laptops
through
Trinidad
and
Tobago
as
Trinidad
and
Tobago
as
already
begun
the
process
for
procuring
the
laptops,
as
well
as
the
costs
per
unit
would
be
less
when
bought
in
bulk.

3.
He
added
that
while
the
process
was
made
initially
on
an
annual
basis,
further
discussions
between
both
PMs
could
mean
similar
future
arrangements.
Lewis
expressed
hope
that
the
laptops
would
impact
on
the
lives
of
the
entire
family
and
not
just
the
students
receiving
them.
"The
parents,
hopefully,
will
also
make
full
use
of
these
laptops
and
not
just
the
students,
but
the
entire
family,"
noted
Lewis.
It
is
expected
that
the
laptops
will
be
distributed
to
the
St
Lucian
students
within
the
next
coming
weeks.