1) ICTs are seen as tools for social economic development. But, is this more of a theory than reality? How is ICT being used to reduce poverty? What more can be done?
ICTs have catalysed the process of globalization. The process economic and political integration. Their adoption is a challenge as states, corporations especially in the developing world are over-extended by the traditional challenges and approaches of problem tackling.
Governments therefore as a conventional vehicle and an instrument of public good is vital in promoting the adoption of ICTs through active political support, policy formulation and strategic infrastural investment. The ICT industry in Asian Pacific Nations such as Malaysia,Singapore and Hong Kong has proliferated because governments have been progressive implementing the right policy mix tapping into a powerful market. The public service summit in Beijing saw governments such as China, Portugal, South Korea and Canada what a progressive government does to engineer social transformation building an informed society to transition into a knowledge based economy.
(2) How can ICTs be embedded into effective strategies for reducing poverty? ICTs facilitate communication between people. It helps integrate people of diverse cultures. It has transformed international trade through e-commerce.It is therefore a facilitators of human communication and information exchange. Information today is classified as the 5 factor of economic production. While ICTs help spur competition it brings in the fact of innovation. While ICT infrastructure development is good for access, knowing to use and adapt content to local environments facilitates social inclusion. That mix requires business and political leadership.
(3) What is not being done to use ICTs in the fight to reduce poverty, and why?
Political leaders are not playing their role with the right energy. There are issues of institutional and national change management to deal with. Are the right policies being put in place with the right political vision? Is the government implementing e-governance program with the right mindset? Does government see the public good in being accountable to the people? Does government view the business community and citizens are stakeholders? It is on such a foundation you can infer correctly our current policy direction.
The Ministry of ICT is in isolation. The Minister of ICT my old Budonian,Dr.Ham Mulira is a lone voice in the crusade. In Malaysia the government and the Prime Minister are speaking in one voice in the promotion of ICT across the Country.In Uganda, Dr.Mulira has been reduced an IT Manager for a largely reluctant tradtionally government.
e-Goveranance can only work when the government finds in its interest to be progressive and reform minded. This government is not looking in that direction. It is some kind of in all coalition government bringing all political hangerson to the high table for the sake of peace. This government is a peace government crafted for pacifying country at the expense of infrastructure development. Quality delivery of public services is not possible when all the economic benefits are consumed by the political class.Reason government cannot afford to promote e-governance. It promotes accountability, it requires that that octopus of a government with a redudant human resources is trimmed since business operations are automated.
(4) Which ICTs are most effective in reducing poverty?
T.V,Radio,Internet and Mobile Communications are all important.All of them are being intergrated into a suit using Internet Protocol. Reason for IPTV,VOIP and Internet Radio. But for all of them to be essentially important content & programming is very important. It is not enough to have the infrastructure in place and the content is not relevant to for people to harness their sorrounding. Community Radio for instance has been used for mobilizing rural farmers in agribusiness enterprise development. SMS appllications and GPRS communications are being deployed to help rural people access & exchange information.
(5) How can ICTs be used in ways that achieve measurable results in a reasonable time frame?
There is need for political leadership to formulate policy and establish functional institutions to promote these emerging technologies. Functionals institutions facilitate policy and promote creation of appropriate content and development whether on the world wide web or community radio. There is need to promote strategic public-private partnerships to stimulate market and enteprise development.
(6) How can successful initiatives be scaled up and/or be implemented successfully in other regions?
Markets have limits. Strategic Public-Private partnerships are vital vehicles for stimulating markets. This can be viewed as affirmative action. Successful models can be replicated through these. It is very difficult to establish a communication kiosk in a non-market friendly environment when government is more interested in taxation.
(7) What can the private sector do to help facilitate the use of ICT by the poor? The private sector has already proved to be the lead sector in ICT Promotion. ICT promotion for who? Citizens? Business community? of Government? These are stakeholders in the development process. The telecom industry in Uganda has been the highest contributor to our national tax base. Why? Government looks at is as a cash cow. What has government done with the taxes collected over the years? Has it invested strategic sectors that spur production? Centrality of all this is government. The private sector has already proved its role but government is far behind in the line!
