Hon. Sean R. Astwood, Deputy Premier andMinister of Border Control and Employment, represented the Turks and CaicosIslands at the 21st Century Government Summit held in St. John’s,Antigua and Barbuda, on January 16, 2018. The summit, attended by leaders fromnine Caribbean nations, aimed to accelerate government transformation throughtechnology, improve public service delivery, and enhance regional economic competitiveness.Key discussions revolved around implementing sustainable, tech-driven solutionsto modernize governance and promote sustainable development.

Highlighting the importance of regionalcollaboration, Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell and Antigua andBarbuda’s Prime Minister Hon. Gaston Browne called for a bold embrace ofdigital innovation. They emphasized leadership’s role in transitioning toe-Government systems that create efficient, citizen-centric services. Examplesof such advancements in Antigua include automated business registries, visasystems, and digital land records. Estonia and Georgia, global leaders ine-Government, also shared their transformative achievements in integratingtechnology into governance.

Astwood lauded the summit’s relevance tothe TCI’s modernization goals. He shared updates on the rollout of new readablework permit cards as part of an automated border control initiative, a steptoward more secure and efficient governance. He reaffirmed the TCI’s commitmentto adopting innovative technologies that improve service delivery and positionthe territory as a regional leader in digital transformation.