Uganda Cuts ICT Budget by Shs 200million
The government has cut funding to the ICT sector down playing the need to fast truck the growth of Uganda Information and Communications Technology sector.
This comes amid assurances that the government in the 2013/14 financial year would fast-truck ICT growth to match global standards.
The sector has been allocated a total of Shs15.3 billion down from the Shs15.5 billion it received in the 2012/13 financial year.
The allocation represents 1 per cent of of the Shs13.1 trillion resource envelop.
ICT is listed under the National Development Plan as one of the tool that shall enable the modernisation of Uganda in East Africa.
This reduction will have chilling effects on government’s commitment to match global growth through the use of ICT.
Among the listed priorities include a Shs475 million allocation for IT and Information management services, Shs459 million for Communication and Broadcasting infrastructures, and Shs10.4 billion on Information Technology Governance Services managed by the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda.
A total of Shs3.5 billion will be spent on ICT policy planning and support services.
Recently Dr Ruhakana Rugunda the former ICT minister, said the government would commercialise the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) to enables easy access for telecom companies of information superhighway as well fast – trucking the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) programme.
