The policy aims to develop and promote the ICT sector faster to help the country achieve the middle-income status by 2021 and turn it into a developed one by 2041
Cabinet approves policy to boost ICT sector�s growth
UNB
The Cabinet yesterday approved the draft of the National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy 2015 seeking the ICT sectors faster development and promotion to help the country achieve the middle-income status by 2021 and turn it into a developed one by 2041, reports UNB.
The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Parliament while having Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the draft of the policy was placed before the Cabinet meeting in February last where the Cabinet cleared it with some observations.
The ICT Division again submitted the Policy before the days Cabinet meeting accommodating those observations.
The Policy has been revised with the opinions of all stakeholders, ministries, experts and professionals.
This Policy has 10 objectives, 54 strategic themes which will be implemented by different organisations under short-, medium- and long-term measures to be implemented by 2016, 2018 and 2021 respectively. Besides, there will be an action plan with 235 action programmes. The 10 objectives are social equity, integrity, universal access, education and research, employment generation, strengthening exports, support for ICT, healthcare, environment, climate and disaster management and productivity.
As per the updated data and information under the Policy, the current number of mobile phone users in the country is 12.03 crore, the Internet users 4.74 crore, Digital Centres 5,275, including union and urban digital centers.
The Policy will be a guideline for the sector to ensure the comprehensive and effective use of ICT to materialise the governments vision to make Bangladesh a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041.
The Cabinet meeting was also apprised about the participation of Bangladesh delegation, led by finance minister, in the Spring Meeting of the World Bank-IMF held on April 17-19, 2015 in Washington, DC and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the ADB on May 2-5, 2015.
Besides, the meeting was also apprised about the participation of the Housing and Public Works Minister in the World Cadastre Summit, Congress and Exhibition on April 20-24, 2015 in Istanbul, the participation of the State Minister for ICT in the Japan IT Week Spring-2015 held in Tokyo.
Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting. Secretaries concerned were also present.
