As globalisation steps up a pace and we hurtle headlong into a technogically dominated world, some communities that do not have access to technology risk becoming increasingly alienated . Humphrey Mutaasa talks to i-genius about the importance of ICT in rural Uganda, and the massive implications that it would have on the development of the country.
Editor: Why do you believe ICT for rural business in Uganda is so important?
Humphrey: I believe it’s important because
a) That’s what Ugandans are lacking. It’s the rural Areas that feed the masses in urban areas. All the food and other stuff come from these areas.
b) 80% of Uganda is rural and the balance either semi-urban or urban. So we are leaving out the biggest area which determines nearly 90% of the country’s decision by focusing of urban areas.
c) Very many Program by government have been towards enhancing the well being of the rural masses but this (ICT) has not picked yet though its one of the most needed for competitiveness and self sustenance of the rural dwellers
Editor: If rural businesses did have access to ICT, what would the positive impact be on development in Uganda? Humphrey: The list of impact is endless, but these are among them;
a) Joining the cyberspace and become part of the fast growing international trade. This is nearly un-heard of in the villages. These people just need this and Uganda will flourish.
b) ICTs will create digital opportunities and spread the benefits of the new economy through out all segments of the society.
c) Communication through different technologies will be easy and like you know, Email and Internet, VOIP, Telephone (both fixed lines and mobile), Pagers-at alter stage, faxes, telex) all these have prospered the MDCs and left the LDCs lagging behind.
d) Access to market related, technology related, financial related, training related, e-learning related information will be easy to find as these rural Ugandans will be able to be trained in the use of ICTs to communicate.
e) Advertising and marketing using web technology like email marketing, e-business, e-commerce, will be easy and rural Ugandans will have the opportunity to sale and buy using these technologies. Like e-procurement.
f) When these rural Ugandans have access to ICTs they will be able to have a way to solve emergencies through effective use of Email and telephones. So there will be an address to disaster relief, and this also will also bring in technologies of Tele-medicine, E-banking online virtual Classrooms which are cheap and affordable. So this will reduce of the classroom populations and reduce of queues in banks while banking school fees.
g) Effective Planning for the government or any other interested party that can use the data that will have been arrayed and arranged in Access and / or using other database management programs. Remember this data will have been analyzed using EpinInfo, or SPSS programs. Enhance the call and cry for ICTs. Eh the list is endless………….
Editor: What are the steps forward for bridging this digital divide?
Humphrey: These are the steps please that we think will bridge this divide;
a) Setting up Multi-purpose ICT solution centers in rural areas. Which would have services like Internet services, ICT training, Photocopying, Business Information solutions to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Business Advisory services.
b) Computer per office projects such that the computers statistics will be verses the amount of offices that we have in the country.
c) ICT for schools projects. Here we are envisaging having computers for schools if the administrations of these schools can build labs, installed with switches, burglar doors, ventilations and furniture. We can organize computers given to them. But this has a challenge.
d) ICT loans from Micro-finance organizations. In addition to the many loans that are given out by these MFIs, we are introducing the ICTs loan such that we cost share the acquisition of these technologies.
e) The government through the private sector foundation has a program called the Businesses of Uganda Development scheme (BUDS) , which reduces by half the costs of different services to a business Individual. We are too using this facility to address ICT initiatives.
f) The government has removed taxes of any kind from any ICT related equipment such that we can receive them tax free.
Editor: What are the major challenges involved in bringing ICT to rural Africa?
Humphrey: The Major challenges are as follows.
a) Lack of the ICT hard and software in rural Africa. Even though we have program but when we don’t have the ICT gadgets, we will be shooting in the air.
b) Lack of Funds as initial capital for the ICT Initiatives like ACODE (African communities Development) Foundations’ ICT for rural areas project.
c) Lack of trained personnel to handle these technologies and pass them on to their colleagues. We need trained personnel and technical support when it comes to Acquisition, installation, and maintenance of these gadgets before we can let the rural Africans do them on their own.
d) Lack of subscriber density to make these ICT initiatives economically feasible.
e) Power shorts. Current in Africa if available is very unreliable and this is worsened by very un-affordable solar systems which range between 450 and 600 US dollars to run 2 PCs. This can not be acquired by the rural Ugandans and Africans as a whole.
f) Unavailable or poor deliberate ICT policies and measures in African economies have hampered the smooth flow of ICT development in our countries.
Editor: What is your role in ICT for rural business? Can you explain a bit about how you became involved in this arena?
Humphrey: My role in ICT for rural business.
a) We train the Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into the use of ICTs in their businesses.
b) We give MSMEs business Information Solutions when it comes to information regarding Market, technology, and financial related information.
c) We design ad manage websites for them and try to market their products and service online.
d) We open free email addresses for them and train them how to communicate (sending email, SMS, and VOIP)
e) We act as ICT bridges. Where we get ICT related material to the MSMEs in Uganda and Africa as whole.
f) We got involved in this because we saw a need for ICTs as a measure for business development. People had some money, they had gone to school but they hadn’t appreciated the use of ICTs into their daily lives. So we jumped into the cart and so we are this far. We just need technical, material, ICT and financial support.
Editor: What would be the ideal situation as you see it? How long is this likely to take, and what are the major obstacles?
Humphrey: According to the situation in Uganda, Now that we have the active poor, the will to use ICT, and we who are able and willing to help can have a project by project per 2 years. We launch a pilot project and then we give it process time and after we analyse the implementation in the 2 nd tear of operation. So every 2 years we can launch a project and have measures to make sure that it is implemented.
The major obstacles are hard ware and Initial technical support. If we can get computers and other ICT components we can move.
Secondly, initial capital to have this happen. However we need to have internal controls to make sure the budgets are actual and not exaggerated because this will spill off our resources that are already scarce.
Editor: What are your hopes for the future of development in Uganda, and for Africa more generally?
Humphrey: My hopes are that we shall link up with developmental ICT and business partners to have this collectively ventured into. We have the land and the human resource though they need abit of tailored training to be compatible to the movement.
My hopes too are that we shall have a common ICT backbone to enhance effective database management and undisputable statistics.
And in this if it starts, we shall be supported to have online presence in form of free domains and web hosting such that we can have free or affordable web presence.
