Designing e-Government for the Poor - Tanzania Development ...

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Conducive policy environment for e-government
was whether it was possible to conduct these assessment methods as a
more simplified process, and at a lower cost. Mr. Gunawardena explained
that it is important to conduct all steps in the assessment method, and
added that the entire assessment approach, including all surveys and focus
groups, is not costly in terms of manpower.
K. Conducive policy environment for e-government
Mr. Peter Chong, Corporate Attorney, Microsoft
In his presentation, Mr. Chong discussed conducive public policies
for ICT/e-government from a macro perspective. He noted that poor communities
are most disadvantaged by the lack of access to ICT. Therefore,
there is a need to discuss and introduce policies that enhance the distribution
of ICT, especially among the poor. Mr. Chong outlined the key
challenges for expansion of ICT, which were:
• Accelerating broadband deployment
• Increasing research and development investment
• Embracing “any time, anywhere” learning
• Developing a world-class digital workforce
• Updating legal and regulatory systems
• Political will
Mr. Chong explained that the following policies are conducive to the
development and deployment of ICT:
• Market liberalization - allow multiple ICT suppliers to enter the
market
• Pro-competitive regulatory framework
• Policies that make online environment secure
• Policies that upgrade human skills through training
Market liberalization entails moving away from state monopolies and
lifting restrictions on foreign investment and ownership of licenses to allow
multiple telecom service providers to apply for licenses based on merit. It
requires deregulation in order to promote competition, lower costs, and
improve quality of service. Market liberalization should include the following:
• Market access for telecom service suppliers
• Deregulation - particularly in telecoms
• Liberalize fixed line and mobile sectors
• Allocate spectrum for wireless broadband devices