[UgaBYTES] Pasted Copy of the ICT Minister's Presentation

[Chole Richard]

I don't know why my attachment fails onUgabyt Mailing list. This should work any how. My Apologies
   
  Role of ICT in Rural Development
  Communication of Hon. Minister of ICT
   Presented by Dr. Kibuuka Godfrey
  Director, Communications and Broadcasting Infrastructure
   
  Club President
  Fellow Rotarians
  Distinguished Guests,
  All protocol observed.
   
  I am delighted to be here with you today at this Rotary Youth Leadership Award workshop. It is a great pleasure for me as a Rotarian to be joining you in this workshop as we forge ways on how to build the potential within our youth.
   
  The topic presented to me for discussion is Development of the ICT Sector in Rural Development.
   
  Before I go deep in the issue of ICTs, let me give the background of Uganda and probably the magnitude of the problem. Uganda has a large population living in rural areas, over 80% of our people live in rural areas with a disposal income of less than 1 dollar (Ug. Shs 1,600). Recent reports show that there is also a strong urbanization trend—up to 12% of the rural population migrating either temporarily or permanently over the years.
   
  Mostly people will migrate in search of improved employment, education or lifestyle with rural unemployment- rates being relatively higher than those in urban areas. Our rural communities are mainly engaged in agricultural activities and largely for subsistence. The migration, of especially the youth, to urban area creates its own detrimental effects, since it contributes to urban unemployment and poverty. On the other hand, it creates drainage of labour from the rural and, hence affecting the productivity levels for even those who would like to engage in activities beyond subsistence.
   
  The challenge is therefore how we motivate them to avoid migration to urban communities through provision of basic necessities of life like ICTs in the rural setting.
   
  I should probably at this juncture define the term ICTs: these are Information and Communication Technologies. We refer to Information and Communication Technologies as a system that process, store and also disseminate information to various points as required by the users. Under these technologies we refer to telephone networks and terminal equipment, Computers and the corresponding networks, Radio equipment and their networks; and TV plus their networks.
   
  Let me go briefly to the History of the ICT Sector, its achievements and relevancy to rural development:
   
  Up to 1990, basically monopoly under UPTC with only fixed telephony.
  1993: introduction of mobile telephony service—Celtel Uganda
  1997: The Uganda Communications Act enacted
   
   
   
   
  1998: -Split of UPT&C: Creation of Uganda Telecom (UTL), & Uganda Posts Limited (UPL)
              Establishment of Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)
              - Licensing of MTN Uganda as SNO & start of duopoly
  2000: Privatisation of UTL
   
  These sector reforms brought about the following:
   
    
   Wide spread of telecommunication services to at least all district headquarters and major trading centres.  
   Telephone rates and cost of telephone equipment went down  
   Quality of service improved  
   Creation of employment (Direct & indirect)
   
  To supplement these efforts, Govt set up a Rural Communication Development Fund (RCDF) with funding from the 1% levy on all Operators and Grants from our Development Partners.  The RCDF covers those rural areas found by the private operators uneconomical to invest in.
   
  Performance of RCDF is summarised as below:
    
   All districts have Web portal  
   All districts shall receive one school computer lab  
   Over 2000 pay phones shall be installed countrywide  
   Ministry supporting several ICT projects initiated including those initiated by youth in various parts of the country.
   
  Since the establishment of the Ministry of ICT in 2006, several programmes and sector reforms have been undertaken, namely:
   
    
   Liberalisation of the entire sector in terms of infrastructure and service provision. This has brought in firms like WARID, Hitz etc. on the Market.  
   Development of the National Data transmission backbone. To supplement the work of the private sector by providing fast and high capacity data links to various districts.  
   Established low cost schemes for supply affordable computers in Uganda.
   
  The Ministry of ICT shall look forward to working with organisations such as Rotary to ensure that the new technologies are properly harnessed for the effective and efficient growth of our nation. This can only be best done through the youth, YOU, as the future managers of society and leaders of tomorrow where the information Age shall not be a desirable state of living but an inevitable reality.
   
  Once again, I thank you for having invited me to this occasion and look forward to collaborating with you and you are most welcome to the Ministry of  ICT to discuss with the officials or me on matters related to the sector.
   
  For God and my Country.
   
  Hon. Dr. Ham - Mukasa Mulira,
                          
   
   


       
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