In a bid to ensure more transparency in parliamentary business, the National Assembly on Monday launched its new state-of-the-art website.
The new website promises to be beneficial to Guyanese both locally and in the diaspora with the introduction of live video and audio streaming.
At the simple launch, Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman noted the importance of the revamp-ed site, not only as a means of providing vital information but also as a way of enhancing communication between Parliament and the people of Guyana.
“By having this communication built, it provides confidence, established trust in elected officials and members of government and promotes a shared commitment to democratic values,” Trotman said.
In a release, Parliament Office indicated that the website caters for all sectors of Guyana and will be a major educational tool. “The new website is also user-friendly and will provide relevant and vital information in a timely manner to Members of Parliament, members of staff, members of the media, students and the general public on the major aspects of the functions of the various activities of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana,” it said.
It further said that the site will include a variety of information, such as committee reports, recordings, legislative acts and bills, while allowing easy navigation through a searchable database, both on mobile and computer devices.
Christopher Lawrence, consultant on the project, revealed that the site will also feature an on-demand service for those who missed live streaming parliamentary sessions.
United Nations Deve-lopment Programme (UNDP) Resident Repre-sentative Khadija Musa commended the project but pointed out the importance of timely and efficient uploads to the site. Accord-ing to Musa, bills and discussions must be regularly uploaded to allow the site to remain functional. Muse added that free information must also be given to the media to promote accurate reporting.
However, Member of Parliament Gail Teixeira later noted just how huge an undertaking it is to upload information in a timely manner.
The new website comes on the heel of a November 2013 contract to upgrade the previous site due to its previous shortcomings.
The contract was signed with consultant Cirrus Multimedia with funding provided by the UNDP. A planning committee was subsequently established to monitor the project with several meetings being held before its completion.
The new website can be accessed at www.parliament.gov.gy.
