Committee discusses national ICT plan

Members of the National ICT Plan (NICI 3) 2011-2015, High Level Steering Committee, yesterday met to review the draft plan. The NICI 3 builds on the work and lessons learned from the previous NICI 1 and 2; in this phase, emphasis is put on the service development. Officiating at the meeting, Ignace Gatare, the Minister in the Office of the President in charge of ICT, said that unlike the first two phases, the third NICI was developed basing on tangible and significant achievements of several already implemented ICT programmes. “After consolidating the enabling environment during the previous NICI plans, the aim is now to maximise the return on important government investments with a focus on the delivery of efficient ICT supported services,” he explained. Gatare stressed that there was a need to ensure sustainability by including the NICI 3 plan institutional framework as an integral part of the strategic plan. “The role of the private sector and civil society will also be key to the success of the NICI 3 plan and strategy,” he noted. The plan, which focuses on service development, cuts across five clusters that will foster continued growth. These include, skills development, private sector development, community development, e-Government and cyber security. Senator Wellars Gasamagera, a member of the ICT Steering Committee in Parliament, remarked that there is a need for the community’s awareness of the ICT development programmes in the country. “The citizens are not aware of the impact of ICT on their social and economic development, therefore, much is needed to create an ICT awareness campaign,” he added. The Minister of Education, Charles Murigande, noted that intensive training is required to improve on the ICT skills of personnel within various institutions. In 2000, the government launched the National ICT Plan, and for five years (2000-2005), they focused on the creation of a fertile, enabling environment in Rwanda for ICT initiatives to take hold. The second, from 2006 to 2010, placed emphasis on the development of key ICT infrastructure such as the laying of fibre optics cables and other ICT infrastructure. Ends