Plans to improve the services sector through the National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) programmes are in progress. This was announced during a one-day conference that brought together officials from the Ministry of ICT along with stakeholders in the information technology sector at Umubano Hotel today.
The plan follows the first and second NICI’s programmes, which dealt with environment and infrastructure, respectively. The Permanent Secretary in the ministry of ICT, David Kanamugire, highlighted that the plan would give a principle guide towards the country’s ICT programmes in the next five years, adding that the plan would also improve service delivery.
“We want to make learning easier in schools, for instance, through the use of latest technologies like online studies. In banks too, we want to improve the network connection where one would conduct their transactions at ease, Mutuelle de santé should be automated where a patient can access their medical history in any health centre,” he remarked.
He encouraged the private sector to work closely with the government in implementing some programmes since they also benefit their business. Kanamugire, however, noted that capacity building matters a lot saying that the private sector’s role was needed.
“An investor in Kirehe District, for instance, can manage an IT centre and then the government would assist in maintaining the computers,” he alluded.
Among the main clusters to be considered during the third NICI includes development of skills in ICT, and equipping the private sector with knowhow that enables competitiveness through new technologies. Community development would also be essential especially in transforming societies through improved access to information and services. This also goes hand in hand with e-government, which improves operational efficiency and service delivery.
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