Minister Hon. Maurice Lake of Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), would like to thank the organizing committee for their professional organization of the two-day workshop that started on Thursday.
Minister Lake would also like to thank and comment Secretary General of Ministry VROMI Louis Brown Jr. for coordinating and implementing the Geographical Information System (GIS) within the ministry.
"Ministry VROMI can also be the liaison to utility company GEBE and other government entities via a service agreement. We have to think outside the box where it concerns utilizing this type of technology which can only further enhance our country’s development," Minster Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday.
Opening Ceremony Speech – Geographic Information System
Good evening,
Protocol be established: (Colleague Ministers, Honourable Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, the organizing committee members, Secretary General of the Ministry VROMI Louis Brown and staff, ladies and gentlemen),
It is a pleasure for me to welcome you here this evening to this opening ceremony in connection with the 1st Caribbean Regional Geographical Information System Workshop being hosted by the ‘Friendly Island’ Sint Maarten in collaboration with the Urban Regional Information Systems Association Caribbean Chapter, together with Ministry VROMI and the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications.
I would like to say welcome to our guests here this evening, who will be attending the workshop, welcome to Sint Maarten.
I would like to thank Urban Regional Information Systems Association Caribbean Chapter for giving Sint Maarten the opportunity to host the workshop and we all look forward to being the host of many more.
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology is changing our world. GIS is used by Ministry VROMI in the area of spatial planning and development.
The Ministry is collaborating with the Department of Statistics that falls under the Ministry of Tourism and Economic Affairs in building a valuable database of information that can be later used for the entire Government organization and semi-government and private agencies where it concerns planning, policy setting and decision-making.
In the end I would like to see the country having a complete National Spatial Data Infrastructure, as this would be a key element of national policy development for the nation.
In my back to basics approach, I believe it is very important that our youth are sensitized to this type of technology and how it can impact society. It should be included in civics or social classes so that they have a basic understanding of what it entails.
GIS technology has been recognized around the world as an important tool for project planning and implementation.
GIS technology is making an impact on almost all the major challenges facing the global community of nations today, from global climate change and managing natural resources to health care, environmental conservation and making country’s more livable.
As populations grow, the technology becomes even more important, the pressures of development increase, and today’s buzz word is sustainable development.
Based on this principle, it becomes ever more important that GIS technology continues to keep pace with societal development and the demands for scarce land resources.
Proper planning even becomes more precious as the global population continues to grow.
I am confident that the two-day workshop will be very productive and reach an important milestone.
It is with great pleasure once again to welcome our workshop guests to Sint Maarten, and I wish all participants, local and from abroad fruitful and successful deliberations.
Thank you
Maurice Lake
Minister of Spatial Planning
PHOTO CUTLINE: Minister Hon. Maurice Lake at the URISA opening ceremony at PRIVE on Wednesday evening addressing invitees. DCOMM Photo