UNCTAD tags ICT as tool to alleviate poverty

FE Team | Published: October 15, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE Report
Participants at a launching ceremony put emphasis on reducing poverty from Bangladesh tapping benefits of information and communications technologies (ICTs).
They also said expansion of ICTs use is the primary pre-requisite for transforming Bangladesh into a digital country.
They made the observation at the launching ceremony of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Information Economy Report 2010 held at the auditorium of Dhaka Reporters unity Thursday.
United Nations Information Center (UNIC) organised the launching ceremony which was moderated by Kazi Ali Reza, officer in charge of (UNIC) in Bangladesh.
Reza said this is the first time for Bangladesh that the information Economy Report is being launched and it would help alleviating poverty from the country.
"Not only this report but also government, private organisations, civil societies and media must play an important role for reducing poverty ", Reza also said.
He also said multimedia-based classrooms in rural area also must be launched soon if the government wants to reap benefits of ICT sectors.
On the back of the ever-wider diffusion of ICTs especially mobile telephones new micro-enterprises are mushrooming in developing countries, sometimes creating new livelihoods for the poor- the UN Report says.
The report revealed that ICT-related micro enterprises are spreading rapidly in many low income countries and can offer work of real value to populations with little education and scant resources.
The report also said selling airtimes on the streets, refurbishing mobile phones, repairing personal computers and running cyber cafés are among poverty reductions activities.
Government and development agencies should work with the private sector and civil societies enhancing the productive use of ICTs by small enterprises that typically employ the poor often involve multiple stakeholders acting in partnership, the report added.
Muhammad Shahroj Jalil, director of Katalyst, Reza Selim, director of Amader Gram, among others, spoke at the ceremony.