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ICT is rural area poverty eradication venue, says Gharib Bilal
BY DAVID KISANGA
23rd May 2013
Vice President, Mohammed Gharib Bilal
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to continue providing a favourable environment for the growth of Information, Communication and Technology (ICTs) investment in rural communities.
Vice President Mohammed Gharib Bilal made the assertion on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam at the inauguration of the 14th ordinary meeting of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Administration Council along with the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).
The move is hoped to hasten the pace of development in the most deprived areas in a move to improve communications services in these remote areas to support growth of other socio-economic services such as education, health, agriculture, tourism, mining and banking.
"ICT is but a new phenomenon that is helping us bridge the rural urban divide," stressed Vice President Bilal.
He underscored that the meeting has come at a time when the communication and ICT industry is experiencing unprecedented growth even though it does, in the process, present challenges in extending the services to rural communities where in Africa, is home to the majority of the people.
Explaining, Bilal acknowledged that mobile banking services along with related money transfers are both providing efficient services to that was never before seen in rural areas.
"Many transactions are now effected through telephone companies and this provides an exciting challenge to the traditional interbank transfers." He pointed out.
According to Bilal, Tanzania has, in recent years, managed to grow the telecommunication sector by leaps and bound and now boasts 60 percent tele-density and over 27 million SIM cards in use.
Of other African countries, Bilal called upon service providers and communication companies to work together to lift their rural communities from poverty by assuring better access to communication and ICT services.
He underlined that locally, communication companies should agree to share facilities, technical expertise and other expenses to reduce their running costs so that in turn they can offer affordable rates to the clients, particularly the low income earners in rural Africa.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
BY DAVID KISANGA
23rd May 2013
Vice President, Mohammed Gharib Bilal
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to continue providing a favourable environment for the growth of Information, Communication and Technology (ICTs) investment in rural communities.
Vice President Mohammed Gharib Bilal made the assertion on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam at the inauguration of the 14th ordinary meeting of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Administration Council along with the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).
The move is hoped to hasten the pace of development in the most deprived areas in a move to improve communications services in these remote areas to support growth of other socio-economic services such as education, health, agriculture, tourism, mining and banking.
"ICT is but a new phenomenon that is helping us bridge the rural urban divide," stressed Vice President Bilal.
He underscored that the meeting has come at a time when the communication and ICT industry is experiencing unprecedented growth even though it does, in the process, present challenges in extending the services to rural communities where in Africa, is home to the majority of the people.
Explaining, Bilal acknowledged that mobile banking services along with related money transfers are both providing efficient services to that was never before seen in rural areas.
"Many transactions are now effected through telephone companies and this provides an exciting challenge to the traditional interbank transfers." He pointed out.
According to Bilal, Tanzania has, in recent years, managed to grow the telecommunication sector by leaps and bound and now boasts 60 percent tele-density and over 27 million SIM cards in use.
Of other African countries, Bilal called upon service providers and communication companies to work together to lift their rural communities from poverty by assuring better access to communication and ICT services.
He underlined that locally, communication companies should agree to share facilities, technical expertise and other expenses to reduce their running costs so that in turn they can offer affordable rates to the clients, particularly the low income earners in rural Africa.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN