| UNIDO, Microsoft partner to boost local software economy in Uganda |
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| Friday,September 21,2007 Posted: 20:30 BJT(30 GMT) |
| From:UNIDO Article type:Reproduced |
Kampala, Uganda – 21 September 2007 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Government of Uganda and Microsoft today signed a letter of intent with the aim to promote the development of local software solutions in Uganda.
By fostering information and communication technology (ICT) innovations and solutions, the signatories hope to enhance the role that Ugandan software developers and ICT graduates can play in the development of the country’s economy.
They also believe that local ICT capacity building enables the development of solutions that are tailored to local needs and are presented in local languages. This in turn creates new opportunities for innovation, business process outsourcing services and industrial development.
Platform for development
Today’s developments build on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by UNIDO and Microsoft in July last year in which both partners agreed to pool their respective expertise to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to foster innovation and competitiveness. The partnership recognizes the importance of harnessing ICT for promoting sustainable industrialization as a means of improving livelihoods in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
"Information and Communication Technology is a key development tool - it contributes to increased productivity and helps stimulating a competitive knowledge-based economy. More public-private partnerships are needed - such as the one we have established with Microsoft - to bring Africa closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals” said Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director-General of UNIDO.
Access to technology
As part of their joint activities, UNIDO and Microsoft – in close cooperation with the Government – are in the process of establishing a centre of excellence for computer refurbishment in Uganda. This centre aims to offer SMEs access to reliable technology and relevant software at affordable prices. The refurbishment itself will be carried out by local entrepreneurs, thereby helping to bolster the local economy.
“SMEs form the cornerstone of our local economy,” said the Honourable Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira, Minister of Information and Communications Technology in Uganda. “By helping to empower them with access to affordable computer hardware, training and entrepreneurial opportunities, we will be taking steps to build a sustainable future for our economy. This will benefit all our people.”
Given that refurbished computers need to be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner once they have reached the end of their life cycle, stakeholders are being invited to partner with Microsoft and UNIDO to explore complementary, recycling opportunities for ‘electronic waste’.
“Give people the right tools, empower them with the right knowledge and provide them with the right opportunity and you’ll see them build their own futures. Our partnership with UNIDO and the Government of Uganda is firmly rooted in this approach.” said Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, the chairman for Africa at Microsoft.
Focused technical assistance
Over the past years, UNIDO, in close cooperation with local public and private sector representatives and with funding from the Austrian Development Agency, has developed a network of pilot District Business Information Centres in the districts of Arua, Jinja, Mbale and Soroti, Masaka and Kabale. Their main objective is to use ICT to help local entrepreneurial skills, thereby increasing the productivity and competitiveness of the local private sector. Microsoft supports this initiative by developing relevant ICT-related services and training for the rural business community – including awareness building on the benefits of ICT tools via its Digital Literacy programme and SME relevant training curriculum.
As aresult, a series of training programmes and solutions are being offered through the District Information Business Centres. The programmes will be delivered by experts from Microsoft in the US - technical specialists who won a regional contest to design the most relevant and innovative ways to deliver this kind of training.
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