Industry insiders call for frequent review of ICT policy
Saturday, 6 March 2010
FE Report
Leaders in the Information Technology sector have called for frequent review of the country's National ICT Policy to meet the challenges and requirement of the fast changing sector.
Urging an overhaul of the 'review mechanism' within the policy, they have also asked for the provision of setting annual target and evaluation of the country's digitisation process to materialise the vision of Digital Bangladesh 2021.
The call was made at a seminar on "Implementing ICT Policy 2009 to Achieve Digital Bangladesh", organized on the eve of the Digital Innovation Fair in the city Friday.
State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman attended the event as the chief guest while Principal Secretary Md. Abdul Karim chaired the session.
"The country's present ICT Policy, which was adopted in August 2008, needs to be urgently reviewed to reevaluate its priorities in the present context", said Habibullah N Karim, President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).
"At the same time, the specific short-term targets outlined in the policy should be reviewed every year", Karim said, adding "The Ministry of Science and ICT should take the central role in evaluating the targets and achievements".
According to the current provisions, the implementation strategies outlined in the ICT Policy have to be reviewed every three years while the whole policy is to be reviewed every six years.
Cautioning of a digital divide in the society with the rapid digitisation, IT leaders also called for using Information Technology as a tool for ensuring social equality.
"The digitisation should aim at process improvement, service facilitation and at the same time decreasing the cost of service", Karim added.
Speaking on the occasion, President of Bangladesh Computer Samity Mostafa Jobbar mentioned some specific actions that have already been implemented are needed to be dropped from the policy while some items need modification with the change in the context.
"For instance, there is a provision for updating the country's ICT Act in the policy, which has already been updated", Jobbar said, "On the other hand, the policy has set the target of rolling optical fiber network up to the upazilla level of the country but the present government aims to take it up to the union level".
"Also, there has been no meeting of the Digital Bangladesh Taskforce in years", he added, "but this high level taskforce should meet at least twice a year".
Responding to the queries, Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman reaffirmed that government would take steps to prevent digital divide in the country with the rapid digitizstion.
"Pilot project would be launched up to the union level to showcase the success that can be brought by providing full scale digital facilities to the people", he added.
"The meeting of the Digital Bangladesh Taskforce is likely to take place by the end of this month", Principal Secretary Md. Abdul Karim said, adding, "The executive committee of the taskforce has already sat twice and it has outlined the agenda for the upcoming meeting".
Science and ICT Secretary Abdur Rob Howlader presented the keynote paper on the occasion.
Leaders in the Information Technology sector have called for frequent review of the country's National ICT Policy to meet the challenges and requirement of the fast changing sector.
Urging an overhaul of the 'review mechanism' within the policy, they have also asked for the provision of setting annual target and evaluation of the country's digitisation process to materialise the vision of Digital Bangladesh 2021.
The call was made at a seminar on "Implementing ICT Policy 2009 to Achieve Digital Bangladesh", organized on the eve of the Digital Innovation Fair in the city Friday.
State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman attended the event as the chief guest while Principal Secretary Md. Abdul Karim chaired the session.
"The country's present ICT Policy, which was adopted in August 2008, needs to be urgently reviewed to reevaluate its priorities in the present context", said Habibullah N Karim, President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).
"At the same time, the specific short-term targets outlined in the policy should be reviewed every year", Karim said, adding "The Ministry of Science and ICT should take the central role in evaluating the targets and achievements".
According to the current provisions, the implementation strategies outlined in the ICT Policy have to be reviewed every three years while the whole policy is to be reviewed every six years.
Cautioning of a digital divide in the society with the rapid digitisation, IT leaders also called for using Information Technology as a tool for ensuring social equality.
"The digitisation should aim at process improvement, service facilitation and at the same time decreasing the cost of service", Karim added.
Speaking on the occasion, President of Bangladesh Computer Samity Mostafa Jobbar mentioned some specific actions that have already been implemented are needed to be dropped from the policy while some items need modification with the change in the context.
"For instance, there is a provision for updating the country's ICT Act in the policy, which has already been updated", Jobbar said, "On the other hand, the policy has set the target of rolling optical fiber network up to the upazilla level of the country but the present government aims to take it up to the union level".
"Also, there has been no meeting of the Digital Bangladesh Taskforce in years", he added, "but this high level taskforce should meet at least twice a year".
Responding to the queries, Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman reaffirmed that government would take steps to prevent digital divide in the country with the rapid digitizstion.
"Pilot project would be launched up to the union level to showcase the success that can be brought by providing full scale digital facilities to the people", he added.
"The meeting of the Digital Bangladesh Taskforce is likely to take place by the end of this month", Principal Secretary Md. Abdul Karim said, adding, "The executive committee of the taskforce has already sat twice and it has outlined the agenda for the upcoming meeting".
Science and ICT Secretary Abdur Rob Howlader presented the keynote paper on the occasion.