Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

Despite how it sounds, the Venus Project is not Elon Musk's latest proposal for aninterplanetary expedition. Nor is it the enigmatic code name for a forthcoming J.J. Abrams sci-fi movie.

The Venus Project proposes something far more radical in its scope and design. It is an honest-to-goodness blueprint for a new global civilization.

(Photo: The Venus Project)

(Image: The Venus Project)

The Venus Project was created byRoxanne Meadowswho worked alongside the pioneering social engineerJacques Fresco.Meadows is a trained architectural illustrator and model maker who studied under Fresco for four years.

"When I first met Jacque Fresco in 1976, he had a nonprofit organizationcalled Sociocyberneering," Meadows recalls.The term condensed the key elements of Fresco's esoteric field, which applies engineering and cybernetics to the study of a social system.

He was using the word 'cyber' before it had been popularizedby cyberspace or cyberpunk. However,Sociocyberneering was difficult to pronounce, remember, or spell so upon moving to Venus, Florida, the team called their project The Venus Project to make it simple.

Concept image of a Circular City, one of the key figures of the Venus Project vision (Image: The Venus Project)

Concept image of a Circular City (Image: The Venus Project)

In 1980, Fresco and Meadows began the construction of their 21-acre research center in a remote, rural outpost in central Florida.

The pristine natural setting was anideal proving ground for their futurist city, which emphasizes a global economy based on the fair and equitable use of environmental resources.

The research center features 10 dome-shaped buildings designed and constructed by Fresco and Meadows.The dome appears prominently in existing and forthcoming architectural blueprints. According to their website, the shape provides maximum strength and stability while using a minimal amount of material to enclose a given area.

Moreover, "nature has evolved the dome configuration as the most efficient enclosure for the human brain; thus, it could be said that we all live in domes!"

Concept art for a floating sea city used as research and transportation hub (Image: The Venus Project)

Concept art for a floating maricultural farm (Image: The Venus Project)

While the dome is the key architectural concept, Resource-Based Economy is the central governing principle of the Venus Project.

Meadows and Fresco believe that "obsolete methods such as socialism, communism, fascism or the free enterprise system" cannot provide for every man, woman and child on Earth. As a child of the Great Depression in New York City, Fresco witnessed firsthand the mass poverty and dislocation of working people.

"Although industrial plants were largely dormant, people wanted work. Store windows filled with goods remained unsold as few had the money to buy anything."

At this point, he realized that the rules of the game needed to be changed. The Resource-Based Economy is "not based on someone's ideals or vision of 'utopia'... it is based on years of experimental study."

The system is something like an environmental positivism it hinges on the idea that the Earth's resources should be "the common heritage of all the world's people." Meadows contends that the project goes beyond any planned community or commune because it presents an all-encompassing global system.

Among the many conceptual blueprints in their archive, there are massive circular cities, modular skyscrapers and water-bound marine research centers. Their vision extends to every corner of the earth, creating solutions for living in every possible climate.

Concept art for modular skyscrapers (Image: The Venus Project)

We asked Meadows if the Venus Project is more relevant now given the rash of political instability across the world. She said it sometimes depends on "the march of events" that enables people to perceive an acute need for social change.

However, according to Meadows, the need for the Resource-Based Economy has been relevant for a long time:

"It takes conditions in society that actually convincepeople to look around and see that this is not working, such as losing confidence in their elected leaders...

It takes people losing their jobs to technological unemployment...

It takes climate change to threaten the lives of our own existence and people understanding that not much is being done about it...

It unfortunately also takes the poisoning of our food, air and water due to the mandate of profit over the mandate of globalhealth and well-being."

In their current phase, the Venus Project maintains a network of volunteers across the world.Meadows is also currently working on everything from a TV series to a full-scale city. But the best way to make immediate contact with their vision is to visit the research center in Venus, Florida where they offer toursevery Saturday.

Read More ->Mexican Architect Creates A Utopian City To Combat Trumps Idiot Wall Idea

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This Group Wants To Engineer A New Civilization With No War ... - Konbini US

As Flathead County continues to rebound from the recession, a new labor market is emerging. Who are the people trying to find work as the economy evolves?

By Molly Priddy // Mar 28, 2017 // Uncategorized

Patricia Goocher, pictured at Flathead Job Service on March 23, 2017. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

With the recession in the rearview mirror, the attention is now on the Flathead Valleys dynamic economic landscape and building toward the future.

Many of the valleys stalwart natural-resource industries, such as timber and aluminum refining, have been cut back or eliminated altogether, with a new wave of businesses filling in the vacuum.

According to Trevor Gonser, employment services supervisor at the Kalispell Job Service, the new vanguard of business tends to be more knowledge based, with jobs requiring specific levels of education or certifications, such as positions in the health care industry or high tech.

How does that affect the people who are looking for jobs now, and who are these employment seekers?

Data from unemployment statistics and U.S. Census Bureau information help paint a picture of the job-hunting population, but Gonser noted unemployment data only accounts for people who are filing for benefits while on the job search.

Its hard, then, to qualify how many people are searching on their own, without the help of the Job Service or other employment placement companies, Gonser said. Still, with many of the valleys top industries represented in the open positions listed at the service, it provides a snapshot of what the Flatheads job seekers want.

Gonser said now that the Flatheads economy is shifting more toward a knowledge-based economy, it can be difficult for older job seekers transitioning to a new field or those who havent been keeping up with the latest training in their fields.

A random sampling of 200 clients at the Job Service shows most are interested in customer service, retail, construction, driving, and manufacturing jobs.

Generally, we see at least 50 unique people a day, Gonser said.

According to data from the Department of Labor and Industry, Flathead County had a population of 96,165 and a labor force of 45,104 people in 2015, which is the latest labor data available from the department.

The largest age demographic in the county was the 35-to-54 range, according to overall population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, with more than 24,200 people. The Census reports that about 80 percent of those adults are participating in the labor force, which means theyre either employed or actively looking for work.

Of the population aged 20 and older in the Flathead encompassing 54,788 people, 72 percent of whom are participating in the labor force its almost an even split between men (27,048) and women (27,740). Theres a 76 percent labor participation rate for men and 69 percent for women. A little more than a third of the women have children.

The second largest demographic in the Flathead consists of kids ages 0-14, of which there were more than 17,400. The 15-24 age range and the 25-34 age range had a little more than 21,500 people combined, with the percentage of labor force participation increasing with age. For instance, only about 41 percent of 16-19 year olds participated in the labor market, compared to about 80 percent of the 25-34 year olds.

In the population aged 25 to 64 years old, equaling roughly 49,782 in the county, about 5 percent had less education than a high school diploma, nearly 30 percent had a high school diploma or the equivalent, roughly 37 percent had some college or an associates degree, and about 28 percent had a bachelors degree or higher.

The average wage in Flathead County sat at about $38,500, and the annual per-capita income was just over $40,400.

Taking that data into account, a picture of the average job hunter in Flathead County emerges. Patricia Goocher is one such example. She moved back to Montana in November after years of living in California and Oregon. She left California in 2009 when the recession hit and the jobs dried up, and tried her luck in Oregon, where she joined the local pipefitters union.

As a pipefitter, Goocher, 51, is used to supporting herself, having worked union jobs in Oregon and California before a personal situation forced a move. She sat in the Flathead Job Service work area last week, perusing job openings and paying the bill for her storage unit back in Oregon.

Shes trying to figure out if she wants to move back to Oregon or make a go of life here. But in the meantime, Goocher said, she needs a job so she can stop living with family and pay her own way.

I need to find employment where I can support myself, she said. And $8 an hour isnt going to do that.

Shes looking not just for pipefitting jobs, but also warehouse positions, or maybe a flagging job with a construction company this summer. She had a shot at a job that paid $12.50 an hour, but missed the phone call and the job went to someone else.

Goochers frustrations are tied to her trouble finding a position she needs. She works with a temp agency, and isnt too proud to take jobs of all kinds, but to reach her goal of self-sufficiency, minimum wage wont cut it.

Caroline Frary, 50, said she has trouble finding work because shes behind when it comes to education and experience for many jobs. She said she tries for jobs like the one she had in California, where she was a business technical writer, but similar jobs here require more training than she has.

You cant have experience if you dont get experience, Frary said.

Her other challenges are logistical, she said. Without a phone or a car, she bikes or catches a ride from Kila to check her email and see if shes had any hits on jobs.

Chelsea, 33, a job hunter who asked only to be identified by her first name, said shes run into problems finding work because while she was married, she stayed home with her children and didnt go to school or work.

Now that shes out in the workforce again, Chelsea, a trained phlebotomist, said many places require years of experience instead of taking on new workers and training them.

As she heads into summer, her biggest requirement is a job with flexibility so she can keep track of her three kids.

I would be happy even just getting a housekeeping job, Chelsea said.

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Who are the Job Hunters? - Flathead Beacon - Flathead Beacon

AAR research finds trade directly supports at least 50,000 u.s. rail jobs, 35 percent of rail revenues and 42 percent of carloads and intermodal units

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today released an assessment of trades impact on the freight railroad industry, finding that at least 42 percent of rail carloads and intermodal units, and more than 35 percent of annual rail revenue, are directly associated with international trade.

Approximately 50,000 domestic rail jobs, accounting for more than $5.5 billion in annual wages and benefits, depend directly on international trade, the analysis of 2014 data also found. If rail traffic indirectly associated with trade was included, the figures would be notably higher.

With ample discussions in Washington policy circles today on the role of trade, imports versus exports and manufacturing, the data provide a reminder that todays global economy is firmly established and cannot be easily undone with rushed policy modifications. Doing so could have damaging and counterproductive effects on American workers and various industries - including a freight rail network that serves nearly every industrial, wholesale, retail and resource based sector of the economy.

Efforts that curtail overall trade would threaten thousands of U.S. freight rail jobs that depend on it and limit essential railroad revenues used to modernize railroad infrastructure throughout North America, said AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger. For a highly capital-intensive industry that has spent $26 billion annually in recent years, private investment is the lifeblood of a freight rail sector that must devote massive sums to safely, efficiently and affordably deliver goods across the economy. Upending the ability of railroads to do so by undermining free trade agreements that have done far more good than harm would have far reaching effects.

The report looked at a host of rail movements, analyzing data from the 2014 Surface Transportation Board (STB) Waybill Sample - the most recent data available at the time of the analysis - other government data, information from U.S. ports and Google Earth, among others. Waybill Sample contains data from a stratified sample of waybills submitted each year by freight railroads to the STB. Each waybill contains, among other things, information on the origin and destination of the shipment and the volume and type of product moved.

The scope of operations and reach into the U.S. economy discovered through the analysis was stark. In 2014, there were 329 million tons of exports handled, nearly double the still-sizeable 171 million tons of imports moved by rail.

Rail traffic associated with trade included movements of coal for export out of ports in Maryland, Virginia, the Gulf Coast and the Great Lakes; paper and forest products imported from Canada into the Midwest, as well as paper products exported from the Southern U.S; imports and exports of Canadian and Mexican automotive products to and from auto factories in dozens of U.S. states; containers of consumer goods from Asia coming ashore in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma, Savannah, Norfolk, and Newark; plastics shipped by rail from Texas and Louisiana to the East and West Coasts for export to Europe and Asia; iron ore mined in Minnesota and shipped by rail to Great Lakes ports; and grain grown in the Midwest and carried by rail to the Pacific Northwest and the Gulf Coast for export.

These numbers validate our view that U.S. policymakers should proceed with caution in their quest to reverse some impacts of globalization, added Hamberger.

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New report confirms freight railroads are deeply connected to international trade - American Journal of Transportation

The B.C. Green Party is rolling out its plan to win over votes in the upcoming provincial election and its all about focusing on the new economy.

B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver unveiled their economic platform strategy on Wednesday, which emphasizes three pillars: economic security, sustainability, and responsible government with a particular focus on supporting innovation and investing in sustainable high-tech jobs.

Weaver and his team are looking to cause an upset in May and do more than split the vote.

Government has one job that is more important than anything else: to support all British Columbians in living healthy and prosperous lives, Weaver said in a statement.

That starts with a healthy economy. The most important factor in an individuals health and well-being is their income. Furthermore, when people feel secure, they can feel comfortable pursuing their innovative ideas and dreams.

Weaver said the Greens would spend $120 million over four years to support research and commercialization in new emerging and clean tech sectors, while moving away from B.C.s resource-based economy.

In addition to that, the B.C. Green Party leader said they would set up an emerging economy task force looking at the changing nature of business over the next 10 to 25 years.

Weaver also touched onthe hot issue of corporate and union donations, which the B.C. Green Party banned last year. Its a decision, Weaver says, that paid off.

We banned receiving corporate and union donations ourselves, Weaver said.

As soon as we did that our fundraising went through the roof. We raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars in December alone. Were up well over 500 per cent on month-to-month fundraising and well be well-resourced with 14 full-time paid staff on our campaign team with a campaign bus that will travel the province.

The B.C. Green Party has more than 60 candidates right now but said they are planning on running a full slate of candidates in all 87 ridings.

British Columbians will be heading to the polls on May 7.

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BC Green Party unveils economic plan - Globalnews.ca

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall.

Notwithstanding the near billion-dollar tax grab in Wednesdays budget, tax decreases will still be Premier Brad Walls legacy.

Sure, hes now the guy that hiked the provincial sales tax to six per cent and broadened it to include restaurant meals, kids clothes, junk food and construction costs. That will be the case for the remainder of the term, because his Saskatchewan Party government needs the revenue these tax increases generate.

But Walls decade-long dogged determination to keep taxes low has already solidified the Saskatchewan premiers legacy of keeping taxes low.

For example, Wednesdays 2017-18 budget illustrates that the $4,510 in annual provincial taxes an average family of fourearning $75,000pays ($2,483 in income tax, $1,727 in sales tax and about $300 in gas tax) remains second-lowest to an Alberta family ($2,766, because there is no sales tax). But its a solid second place, $1,500 less than third-place Ontario, $2,000 less than in B.C. and roughly half anywhere else.

Interestingly, even after Wednesdays tax hammering, that average $75,000-a-year Saskatchewan family is still paying $2,387 or 34.7 per cent less than the $6,887 it would have shelled out in 2006-07, whichwas the last year of the NDP government. In 2006-07, Saskatchewanwas fourth-lowest in the nation and only $1,500 to $2,000 less than than the high-taxed Atlantic provinces.

Moreover, Walls pursuit of better revenue funding for municipalities means we fare much better on our property taxes. And contrary to popular myth, those in Saskatchewans lower income $25,000-a-year and $50,000-a-year annual income brackets have done every bit as well or even better.

Finally, everyone knows corporations in this province have done very well under Wall including in this 2017-18 budget that decreases the corporate tax rate to 11 per cent by 2019 from 12 per cent.

Wall whose 52-per-cent approval rating remains the best among Canadian premiers can be comforted in the knowledge that his legacy as a tax-cutting premier will remain so for as long as he chooses to sit in the chair.

However, tax cuts were not the only governance legacy Wall has hoped to leave behind.

Remember those not-so-long-ago days when Brad Wall talked of Saskatchewan one day being debt-free?

That will not happen under Wall. In fact, because of Wall, it will likely never happen.

Of course, being debt-free was always an unrealistic pipe dream for every jurisdiction even Alberta, which briefly achieved that status until the volatilities of a resource-based economy again hit home. Moreover, lets acknowledge virtually every province has a larger per-capita debtthan we do here in Saskatchewan.

That said, theres little doubt Wall once believed ridding Saskatchewan of debt would be his way of rewriting the political narrative. Wall believed he would disprove the notion that conservative governments (i.e. the billion-dollar-a-year deficits of the Grant Devine Progressive Conservatives that pushed Saskatchewan debt to until now record levels) have been all about debt.

Spelled out in a bold graph on page 47 of Walls Meeting the Challenge 2017-18 budget is why that wont happen.

The public debt chart in the 2017-18 budgets borrowing and debt section shows Walls immediate success. His Sask. Party governments initial $10.5-billion Saskatchewan debt in 2008 quickly dropped to a low of $7.9 billion in 2009, including only $200 million in debt of government service organizations. The latter includes some of the interest we pay on borrowing for past deficit budgets going back to the Devine years that we still must pay off before we pay a single teacher or nurse or pave an inch of highway.

Well, having now presented six deficit budgets in 10 years, Wall sees Saskatchewan public debt rise to $16.1 billion by the end of 2017,surpassing its previous high in the early years of the Roy Romanow NDP government before the books were re-balanced. That includes $2.3 billion in debt of government service organizations after this years $1.3-billion deficit.

By the end of 2018 after the 2017-18 budgets $685-million deficit, Saskatchewan will have $18.2 billion in public debt (including $3.3-billion in government service organizations debt).

With two more deficit budgets now scheduled, this province will have a record $22.8 billion in debt by 2021 $6.1 billion for service organizations.

That cements debt as one of Walls legacies.

Murray Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post. He can be reached at mmandryk@postmedia.com

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Mandryk: Wall's legacy may now be growing debt - Regina Leader-Post

Sandy Macdougall

image credit: THE NEWS/files

Its still quite early in the contest, but judging by the March 12 televised leadership debate on the replacement of Tom Mulcair at the helm of the federal NDP, the entire proceedings could become known as the bland leading the bland.

Even the traditional iconic bright orange party colour has been replaced by a washed out tangerine, with an even duller gray background.

Somehow it all seems symbolic as the federal NDP fades into history.

As the party struggles to re-establish its credibility with Canadian voters, it has to bury a few hatchets left over from Mulcairs embarrassing loss to Justin Trudeaus surging Liberals in the 2015 federal election.

It became even more embarrassing when, after stating he wanted to remain as party leader in the next federal election, Mulcair was defeated in 2016 in a confidence vote on his leadership; hence the current leadership campaign.

Candidates have until July 3 to file their nomination papers for the vote, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 18.

Rumors abound that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might even try to pull a sneak election as early as this fall to mitigate whatever possible gains the NDP might rack up during the leadership campaign; however, if the NDP party faithful cant drum up anymore enthusiasm than what we have seen to date, there wont be any NDP gains in public opinion or potential election poll results.

There are currently four candidates vying for the NDP leadership post, but none of them appear to be establishing themselves as the front runner: Peter Julian, a 54 year-old community activist, the MP for Burnaby-New Westminster since 2004; Niki Ashton, a 34 year-old environmental activist, the MP for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski since 2008; Charlie Angus, a 54 year-old entertainer/journalist/broadcaster, the MP for Timmins-James Bay since 2004; and Guy Caron, a 48 year-old economist, MP for Rimouski-Neigette since 2011.

In the March 12 televised debate, they were so polite, the event came off as more of a love-in than a spirited debate.

Regaining voter support for the NDP across Canada presents some formidable challenges as NDP provincial branches have moved towards adopting the approach of the Leap Manifesto, seen by its opponents as destroying resource-based job opportunities in almost every province.

In its simplest terms, the Leap Manifesto states strong opposition to non-renewable resource exploitation, a position which, if implemented, has been estimated by the B.C. budget office, would destroy up to 30,000 full time jobs in this province alone.

It becomes an even thornier issue in British Columbia where this provinces economy is more resource-based than much of the rest of Canada but, until now, has offered strong support for the NDP in many ridings.

Combining the lack of charisma of the current candidates for the federal NDP leadership with the even greater lack of sufficient funding to conduct any effective leadership campaigns makes it difficult to understand where the party is heading.

There is no excitement. There are no headline-grabbing events. There is no attraction to the federal NDP for most Canadians.

Its almost like a chess game in which the opponents can display tremendous intellectual capacity but cant rise above the inherent dullness of the contest.

In short, there is little hope that the party can survive the bleak weeks and months ahead with any confidence in the partys ability to survive on a national level.

There will be no Jack Layton stepping forward to invigorate and elevate the NDPs status as a legitimate federal contender.

There will be no Tommy Douglas bringing an almost evangelical fervor to any campaign.

Most of all, there will be nobody left to invade the hearts, souls and minds of young people who traditionally look to the socialist war caries of the NDP to make their voices heard and to fuel their own youthful rebellions.

Sandy Macdougall is a retired journalist and former city councillor.

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Sidewinder: Who's left to invade NDP hearts? - Maple Ridge News

Hike along Bayocean Spit Road, learn about coastal bays and estuaries, and discover the history of a lost town Saturday.

The guided hike is part of the Explore Nature series of hikes, walks, paddles and outdoor adventures. Hosted by a consortium of volunteer community and non-profit organizations, these meaningful nature-based experiences highlight the unique beauty of Tillamook County and the work being done to preserve and conserve the areas natural resources and natural resource-based economy, according to organizers.

The unique four-mile journey is an easy to moderate walk that winds along and over dunes at the intersection of the ocean and Tillamook Bay. Expect to navigate through puddles and mud, scamper up sand banks, and navigate around storm washed trees.

The event is free and open to the public. The hike will be led by Chrissy Smith of Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS and Kristen Penner of Garibaldi Cultural Heritage Initiative.

Experience the unique story of this coastline, the story of a long lost town buried beneath the salal, and learn about new efforts to preserve Tillamooks historical legacies. Join organizers in discovering the natural wonders and history of this special place.

Hike is scheduled from 1-4 p.m. Saturday.

There are no bathrooms or drinking water facilities on this hike. Organizers request hikers to bring water and snacks.

Weather on the Oregon Coast is unpredictable and trails can be slick and muddy, be prepared and bring appropriate gear and clothing.

The hike is described as an easy to moderate four-mile hike over flat gravel road, sand, moderate to steep sand dunes.

The hike will be at Bayocean Peninsula County Park near Cape Meares. The park is a 20 minute drive from downtown Tillamook. Please register for driving directions.

There is no charge to participate. Tax-exempt donations to Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS to enable programs like this are encouraged, but not required.

Registration is required and available at EventBrite.com. For a link to the registration page, visit netartsbaytoday.org or the Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS Facebook Event page.

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Free hike of Bayocean spit set | Community ... - Tillamook Headlight-Herald

Wednesday, March 22, may go down as one of the more important in recent memory because both the Saskatchewan and federal budgets for 2017-18 were unveiled.

It will also be remembered as confusing since social media and coffee shop talk will soon intertwine the two budgets to the point where what is good and what is bad, and which government is the culprit will be shrouded in uncertainty.

It may be a cynical position to take, but its hard not to imagine the decision not to change their release date, at least provincially, was because of some anonymity of decision associated with the dual release.

There is little secret the provincial government is not going to be people friendly.

When your budget is off course by a billion plus, and the plus seeming to creep higher every time the books are looked at again, something needs to be done as Premier Brad Wall has indicated.

The managers we the voters elected in the Saskatchewan Party are now scrambling to get the books back in order, and there is little doubt our collective pocket books will be thinner because it.

The federal budget has tended to be big picture in recent years. The individual seems less directly impacted, although broader programs such as capital gains taxes, and investment rules, can have an effect.

The combination of the two releases today though will make this year interesting.

We have a federal government that has suggested it wants to see Canada move to a more innovative economy.

For example the Conference Board of Canada ranked the country 14 out of 16 nations in terms of the number of patents per capita, so streamlining the system, and encouraging more patents seems a direction they may go today.

It is part of a vision which sees an economy less resource based moving forward.

It has been a vision Wall has not been supportive of in the past with Saskatchewans resources; uranium, oil, gas and potash, being seen as cornerstones.

But of late Wall has spoke of a new reality, one where resources may not be the government wealth generator they have been.

Strangely, Wall and Trudeau may actually be on the same page in terms of recognizing change is coming in terms of economics, but how they see us adapting is not likely to sync very well.

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Editorial - Confusion will arise from dual release - Yorkton This Week (press release)

Emma Okonji

The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu has that development and deployment of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can propel the small and medium enterprises (SME) to increase its present contribution of one percent to the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He said despite the fact that 96 per cent of Nigerian businesses are SMEs, compared to 53 per cent in the United States and 65 per cent in Europe, the sector contributes only one per cent of Nigerias GDP, a development attributable to several constraints which are not limited to lack of funding, infrastructure and low level of productivity. Shittu, however, was optimistic that the country could leverage ICT to further increase productivity for it to become a critical leader in the fourth industrial revolution as declared sometimes ago in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Minister in a keynote address delivered at the University of Ibadan, School of Business Lecture Series at the weekend said: ICT, more than ever, is now a leveler that will help transform and diversify the economy. He spoke on the theme: Maximising The Potentials of The Telecommunications Industry For Reversing Recession and The Economic Growth of Nigeria.

According to him, the pervasiveness of technology in terms of transforming the way economic activity is organised, suggest that ICT and telecoms have features of general purpose technology, adding that the digital economy holds potential for entrepreneurs and SMEs.

According to him, New digital tends such as cloud computing, mobile web services, bid data, smart grid and social media, are radically changing the business landscape, reshaping the nature of work, the boundaries of enterprises and the responsibilities of business leaders.

Given its immense contribution to the growth of the economy and the fact that ICT is an enabler for all the sectors of the economy, the present administration, he said, would continue to explore ways of maximising the potentials of the telecoms and ICT, for reversing the recession and the economic growth of Nigeria.

Diversification of Nigerias economy into various sectors is not enough to take the country out of recession, until the process is done by leveraging on ICT in an effective and efficient manner to be driven by a digital government strategy that aims to deliver government modernisation, greater value for citizens and businesses as well as transparency and open government, Shittu said.

The country is presently in recession, but it is not because we are in it that we are concerned. We are concerned because each time there is a sharp drop in prices, we enter into a recession and we want to make sure that this cycle does not continue and the only way we can do so is to diversify the economy by leveraging on ICT and move the economy from being resource-based, which it has been since independence, he stressed, promising that, the Ministry of Communications is determined to making sure that the country break away from the cycle.

Revealing that the present administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is convinced that ICT is the bedrock of Nigerias change agenda and development, the minister said, having worked assiduously on setting the proper policy and strategic environment for the development of ICT in the country, government is determined to expand its investments in ICT infrastructure and extend connectivity to unserved and underserved areas.

Change, therefore, he said, would mean a specific, deliberate and spirited reconstructive framework, for recalibrating existing policies and institutional configurations, as well as the value that underpins them.

Shittu promised that government would pursue policies that incentivise investment and promote development of digital economies, so as to be able to build an inclusive digital future for the citizenry.

He also said attention would be paid to the issue of multiple taxation of ICT infrastructure in addition to having ICT infrastructure designated as critical national infrastructure and investment on the capacity and harnessing the talents of the ICT savvy youth through increased accelerators and incubators.

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Shittu: ICT Can Boost SME Contribution to GDP | THISDAYLIVE - THISDAY Newspapers

Vancouver Sun

Opinion: Working together a surefire way to protect First Nations interests in resource development Vancouver Sun A resource-based economy is a big reality of living and working in the north. Resource economies bring well-paying jobs, stability for many families and prosperity to our communities. But, ensuring that the right voices are heard is crucial when trying ...

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Opinion: Working together a surefire way to protect First Nations interests in resource development - Vancouver Sun