KACYIRU - Member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) will benefit from a harmonised policy in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), a director at the regional bloc’s secretariat has said.

Amos Malawa, the Director of Infrastructure Development Division at the Lusaka-based Comesa Secretariat, made the remarks yesterday at the opening of a joint meeting of committees on transport and communication, and energy at Hotel Novotel.

Malawa said that the regional body has programmes in ICT policy and regulatory harmonisation in which member states can carry out studies, review and develop national ICT and legislation policies.

Comesa and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), he said, are in the process of reviewing joint activities on issues such as wireless broadband and digital broadcasting.

He said that other programmes include the Next Generation Network (NGN), frequency spectrum and the costing of ICT services and capacity building.

He however decried the high costs of electricity consumption, adding that there is need for member states to take an immediate action. 

Meanwhile, a two-day meeting of Comesa transport ministers began yesterday to review trends in communication and transportation in the sub-region.

Infrastructure Minister Stanislas Kamanzi said that assessing the implementation of projects and setting clear guidelines top the agenda.

He said that an effective transport and communication network is imperative as it impacts positively on the successful implementation of other integration programmes in the region.

The meeting has drawn participants from Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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