USTDA GRANT SUPPORTS E-GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE IN JAMAICA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA (September 16, 2004) – Earlier today, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director Thelma J. Askey announced the award of a $381,475 technical assistance grant to Fiscal Services Limited (FSL), an information technology (IT) service company within the Jamaican Ministry of Finance and Planning. USTDA Deputy Director Barbara Bradford signed an agreement conferring the grant on behalf of the U.S. Government. FSL Chairman of the Board of Directors Raymond Reece signed the agreement on behalf of the grantee.

The grant will be used to develop an Internet tax portal and on-line tax revenue collection applications for the Government of Jamaica (GOJ). If implemented, the electronic government (e-government) initiative will enable Jamaicans to pay their taxes on-line, thereby increasing convenience to taxpayers and lowering the cost of processing tax payments. Moreover, the grant will give the GOJ the opportunity to implement a series of on-line solutions that will demonstrate the benefits of e-government and provide important lessons in the area of web-based application development. These results will set the stage for implementing other e-government initiatives under the $23 million Information and Communications Technology project supported by the Inter-American Development Bank. FSL has selected EzGov, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia to provide the USTDA-funded technical assistance.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA’s strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

- 30 -

Back to Press Releases