President Rupiah Banda has says Zambia is committed to implement the National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy in an effort to promote communication in rural areas.
President Banda said this is to create a wider impact at all levels of development in both rural and urban communities through the net effect of the ICTs gains.
In a speech read on his behalf, by Communications and Transport Minister Professor Godfrey Lungwangwa, Mr. Banda said government has instituted policy options aimed at achieving rural connectivity in an attempt to fulfill the implementation of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in line with the Millennium Development Goals and the Vision 2030.
He said this during the on-going 4th Annual Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization Conference at Livingstone’s Zambezi Sun Hotel yesterday.
Mr. Banda said government has engaged all stakeholders in designing and implementing solutions that include training and development of ICT training institutions in outlying communities in order to meet people’s demand.
“Connecting rural communities in Africa is urgently required as worldwide developments point towards a society where information out to be available anytime anywhere, with integration of multi-disciplinary solutions for global problems, involving rapid technological development.
” Hence, best practices for the new economic order looking at sustainable rural development in a holistic and innovative perspective in this area are needed in order to fit the demands of our citizens at all levels,” he said.
He implored international delegates and local participants to take advantage of the forum and address bottlenecks in the area of communication connectivity as well as digress on the impact of the global economic crisis in the communication sector.
Mr. Banda observed that Zambia has suffered setbacks in ICT development due to factors that include high illiteracy levels in rural communities; obsolete fixed line infrastructure relative to high cost of replacement; perception of low economic benefits in relation to high cost of investment for private sector; and sparsely populated rural areas and relative too high deployed costs for facilities.
He said there is need to have a strong and sustainable means of communications that would result in the promotion of information and knowledge based society as a basis for creation of wealth.
“ICTs today are more central to the development process more than any other time in history. Without the means of communication, it is practically impossible for the world to be what it is today in terms of politics, commerce and trade, social networking as well as personal well being,” he said.
The president observed that there is not only need to give provide ICT access to people but also to consider giving youths, women and men an opportunity to become drivers of national development.
Meanwhile, Communications and Technology Permanent Secretary, Dominic Sichinga has said that government is aware of the role that ICT continues to play in wealth creation, job creation and poverty reduction.
Mr. Sichinga said government appreciates the great effort that Communication Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization has been doing through interactions in Africa to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas and between the rich the poor people.
ZANIS
How committed are you? Do you mean rural areas where MMD has MPs? Mr President (RB), sir may you apologise to the people of Zambia for your statement in Kasama (The President said constituencies with opposition MPs will not be developed bcoz such MPs had no access to Govt resources as if only MMD members pay tax) which amounts to discrimination and infringes on the human rights of the people you are supposed to serve. Remember that people have the right to choose who to represent them. Someone close to the Presido advise this man from making such statements that border on discrimination
How possible is this for all rural areas in Zambia? How committed are you? Do you mean rural areas where MMD has MPs? Mr President (RB), sir may you apologise to the people of Zambia for your statement in Kasama (The President said constituencies with opposition MPs will not be developed bcoz such MPs had no access to Govt resources as if only MMD members pay tax) which amounts to discrimination and infringes on the human rights of the people you are supposed to serve. Remember that people have the right to choose who to represent them. Someone close to the Presido advise this man from making such statements that border on discrimination