The government began distributing the computers Wednesday. One local media report quoted the minister as saying the price per computer was much higher than the initial cost of TT$4,000.
The Trinidad Express stated on Thursday:
"ONE hundred and sixty-one first formers were yesterday presented with laptops that cost some $15,000 apiece, Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said yesterday. Initially, Gopeesingh had said that each laptop amounted to $4,000; however with security and specially enhanced features the real cost goes far beyond that. "It's between $12,000 to $15,000 by virtue of the signature applications infused in it alone," he said while speaking to more than 100 form one pupils at the Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College in St Augustine during the formal laptop distribution ceremony."
The report created the impression that the price of each computer had tripled.
However in response to a query on the matter, Gopeesingh told JYOTI the cost per computer has not changed. It is TT$4,000 - no more, he said.
He explained that the government negotiated a package price of just under TT$83 million (US$13.046M) for the 20,300 computers. "We saved millions," he said.
Gopeesingh said Government received significant discounts for the software and accessories installed in each laptop. That has resulted in an overall discount price of $4,000 per unit as opposed to between $12,000 and $15,000 that each laptop would normally cost.
The laptops have faster processors, improved wireless capability, Bluetooth (wireless) connectivity, larger internal storage, faster hard drive speed, extended battery life, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 and Learning Essentials 2.0 for Microsoft Office.
Gopeesingh added that without the discounts “it would have cost us hundreds of millions of dollars” for the additional features.
The government is continuing with distribution of the first batch of 3,000 computers and expects to have all the computers handed out by the end of November.
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