MMDCEs go to school on technology
A THREE-DAY Sensitization Workshop has been held in Kumasi for 55 selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives across the country to brief them on the Community Information Centre (CIC) programme being introduced by the government.
The workshop was aimed at enlightening the selected local authority members on the programme being implemented to provide community development information and business services to remote communities in the country.
The vision of the CIC programme is also aimed at creating universal access to promote community-based CIT application for accelerated growth and development through effective and timely availability of information. The programme is in line with the government's structure and Ghana's Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) contained in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
It is being implemented by the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) under the auspices of the Ministry of Communication and the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), Ghana.
Speaking at the sensitization workshop, the Chief Executive Officer of GIFEC, Hon. Kofi Attorh said the policy of the NDC government was to extend ICT education and facilities to every unserved and underserved communities in the country.
According to him, the programme involves the establishment of one-stop ICT Centre fitted with internet facilities in all the 230 districts to facilitate communication with the central government and also provide the opportunity for the training of the youth in information communication technology.
He said additionally, all training colleges in the country and 40 identified technical institutions would be provide with the ICT facilities under the programme, to equip teachers and students with the requisite knowledge in information technology .
Hon. Attorh stated further that under the programme, GIFEC would work in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ensure that all the 11 youth training centers located in the regional capitals were revitalized and connected to the national ICT grid.
He said GIFEC would erect about 40 telecommunications masts in inaccessible areas to connect the various Community Information Centers to provide access to internet-enabled computers, software based on the local information needs, fax machines, printers, copiers, telephones, televisions and radios while adjourning libraries with books and daily newspapers and magazines would also be made available for local use.
Hon. Attorh therefore urged the district chief executives to show serious commitment towards the implementation of the programme by offering the needed assistance to GIFEC in their operations.
The Chief Director in charge of Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Communication, Mr. M Alhassan, who delivered a speech on behalf of the Minister of Communication, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, said the CICs programme would facilitate the e-government agenda and serve as the link between Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in terms of sharing of information.
He said it is the hope of government to create more jobs through ICT and to assist in bridging the digital divide rural and urban areas. He disclosed that as part of the government's ICT programme, all regional post offices would be made a one stop business destination for the transaction of government businesses including the processing and issuance of passports.