The ongoing debate on Age Limit Bill as Ugandan legislators weave their way around a sticky matter of amending Article 102b of the Constitution might have damped every socioeconomic fabric of the country, but has not stopped some good news from slipping in.
One such is that Uganda has moved up five places in the ICT Development Index (IDI)–and this has no relation to whether the improvement is because every one is using IT to fume or praise Age Limit matters.
Previously 158th globally in 2016, the improvement to 152nd position is indicative of the steady success the multifaceted approach being undertaken by the government and the private sector in driving the digital agenda in Uganda.
Additionally, Uganda improved its ranking regionally to 20th in Africa and 2nd in the East African region.
The 2017 edition of the Measuring the Information Society Report was launched during the World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium (WTIS) 2017, in Hammamet, Tunisia. The report is published by the International Telecom Union (ITU), a United Nations special agency for information and communication technologies.
In its 9th edition, the Measuring the Information Society Report, an annual report published by ITU since 2009, features key ICT data and benchmarking tool to measure the information society, the ICT Development Index (IDI).
The report presents a quantitative analysis of the information society and highlights new and emerging trends and measurement issues.
“This is a welcome improvement in our global ranking by the respected ITU. It’s definitely not where we want to be, but is testimony that the different initiatives that are being undertaken under the able leadership of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, have started to bear fruit.
A continuous improvement in the rankings will guarantee the country an improvement in its GDP” said James Saaka, the executive director of NITA-U.
The improvement in the ranking has been buttressed by the strategic rollout of ICT infrastructure by both the private sector and government. Specific to government, NITA-U has successfully completed three phases of the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI).
With over 2,400km of fiber laid across Uganda, with several towns connected, including Kampala, Entebbe and Mutukula. Additionally, extension of the NBI is planned to cover the underserved areas of the country.
This investment as government has led to the reduction in internet bandwidth pricing from $190 per Mbps to a new pricing of $70 per Mbps for government agencies. It is reported that the price will reduce further, in July 2018, to $50 per Mbps for Ministries, Departments & Agencies (MDAs) and local governments.
By the end of Financial Year 17/18, NITA-U plans to have connected 730 MDAs and local governments to the backbone. There are currently 321 MDAs and local governments connected to the NBI.
Commenting on the development, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Vincent Bagiire said it highlights the positive headway made in our collective effort to digitise Uganda.
“Our aim is to continue enabling the lives of Ugandan citizens by demystifying the concept of the use of ICT through the provision of reliable and consistent online government services. I am happy to share that we shall soon, together with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), roll out the Electronic Government Procurement that will ease & automate the government procurement process. This is a critical driver in the Ease of Doing Business Index of a country,” Bagiire said.