Bamako 2002 Conference SOMMET MONDIAL SUR LA SOCIETE DE L'INFORMATION CONFERENCE REGIONALE AFRICAINE (Bamako 28-30 mai 2002) The Minister of Works, Housing & Communication (Uganda) Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Mali It gives me much pleasure and honor to address this gathering of the Communication & Information fraternity at this Africa's Regional Conference. The people and government of Uganda as well as the delegation with me here are indeed happy to come here and join their fellow Africans in developing a common vision and understanding of the information society and to draw up an action plan for concerted development at reducing the digital divide. On behalf the government of Uganda, I wish to convey our sincere gratitude to the government of Mali for hosting this noble Conference and for the warm hospitality accorded to us since we arrived in this beautiful country. I wish also to register our gratitude to the coordinating Agencies for their contribution to make this Regional Conference a reality. I understand the intensions of this conference is to develop a common African Vision and action plans for an " Information Society". I believe we shall discuss issues of Universal Access of basic services and Internet based services for instance in e-business, e-government, e-agriculture etc…It goes without saying that we need to tackle issue of Internet content to be able to participate in the global information age and also fully exploit the abundant benefits of the Internet at national and continental level. We need also to look into and share experiences about appropriate national/regional policy and regulatory frame works to attract investment for the necessary infrastructure and human resource development for our continent. In respect of Universal Access, our law provides for the establishment of a Rural Communications Development Fund. This is intended to provide seed financing for the provision of basic communications services in rural areas. We are optimistic that this approach will not only provide reliable and good-quality service to the users but also at an affordable cost. Uganda recognizes the importance of ICT as the driver for sustainable economic growth. In that respect, an ICT policy is and the corresponding action plans are currently in final stages of preparation and are expected to be in place by the end of this year. Internet and ICT applications are being implemented, but a lot still needs to be done. We need large-scale implementation of these applications for them to make a real impact on the economy and the quality of our people's lives. Despite the positive changes in the infrastructure and services. Africa's tele-density still remains the lowest in the world. This calls for continued review of policies and strategies in order to match it with the worldwide trends. It is our hope that this Conference shall make a difference in bridging the digital divide. I am glad to note that Uganda continues to play an active role in regional initiatives in the communication sector at various levels. Uganda is one of the 10 countries spearheading the African Connection. This is a project whose primary objective is to improve the communications services development and delivery in Africa so as to enhance and promote sustainable development. The project falls under the auspices of the African Telecommunications Union and Uganda is a member of the Board of Trustees. More recently, Uganda and the rest of Africa have come together to form the New Partnership for Africa's Development ( NEPAD) and initiative intended to approach issues of development including ICTs with an innovative vision and drive. I hope that this Conference will compliment the objectives of NEPAD. On the East African scene, Communication has been given a high profile within the East African Co-operation arrangements that being together the tree countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. In May 2002, Uganda hosted the East African Regulators, Postal and Telecommunication Organization (EARPTO) a forum that aims to harmonize and enhance development in the sector. Uganda has been also actively participating in the COMESA and Great Lakes Initiatives. Dear delegates, you will note that the Internet has brought enormous opportunities for Africa to develop our economies and the entire society. This is first time in the history of mankind that we can participate in global economy on the basis of knowledge and creativity rather than capital investment. Lastly, may I once more thank the government and people of Mali for their warm hospitality. I also wish to commend the entire organization committee for having played their part. The ball is now in court of the delegates.
Thank you for your kind attention.
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