Definition of Data

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Main Focus of Document

Sets out the government's national ICT strategy for the country in an effort to develop the country and its people.

Target Beneficiaries or Sector

Government, Citizens

Key Elements

Proposes how ICT could be utilised to ease poverty in certain areas. The Government created this policy to assist in realising developmental goals for Lesotho. 
The rationale for developing this ICT policy is based upon the need to: 
• Create a roadmap for ICT development, attract and mobilise internal and external investment. 
• Co-ordinate the efforts of government, the private sector, civil society and individuals in order to ensure a shared vision for the ICT sector, avoid fragmentation of resources and to maximise utilisation of scarce resources. 
• Ensure that Lesotho is a dynamic member of the global economy and information society. 
• Guide the delivery and creation of electronic information across all sectors in order to provide government, individuals, the private sector and civil society with the resources and tools needed to participate in the global information society. 
• Stimulate the development of national infrastructure needed to support the delivery of ICT services throughout the country and provide universal access to information and knowledge. 
• Develop a transparent and effective legal and regulatory framework that promotes investment in the ICT sector and embraces technological innovation. 
• Channel delivery of ICT services and applications so as to achieve national development goals such as food security, poverty reduction, a healthy population and a stable democracy. 
• Develop the human capacity needed to drive and sustain an information economy. 

This ICT vision anticipates that by year 2015, Lesotho will have successfully developed and deployed ICTs that:  
• Respond to national needs and priorities. 
• Reduce inequalities between the sexes, and decrease the digital divide between urban and rural areas and the haves and have-nots. 
• Improve governance and deepen democracy. 
• Develop the human capacity needed to drive and sustain an information economy. 
• Support its economic activities at home and throughout the world. 

The overall ICT policy goals are to: 
• Increase wealth creation and improve lives through the adoption and use of ICTs. 
• Promote affordable, universal access to ICT products and services. 
• Promote effective regulation of the sector by establishing rules and regulations that promote competition, protect and educate the consumer, create a level playing field among operators and service providers and encourage local and foreign investment in the ICT sector. 
• Increase ICT literacy levels in the country. 
• Coordinate the implementation of ICTs throughout the economy. 
• Develop the human resource capacity in ICTs to meet the changing demands of the national and the global economy. 
• Develop standards, practices and guidelines to support the deployment and exploitation of ICTs. 
• Provide mechanisms for empowering local participation of Basotho in the ICT sector. 

The overall objectives of the ICT policy are to:  
• Create awareness among all stakeholders, government, the private sector, civil society and the general public, about the importance of integrating ICTs in Lesotho’s development process. 
• Facilitate the deployment of a national broadband backbone network to enable the delivery of ICT services and products, to meet universal access goals. 
• Mobilise resources, attract investment and establish innovative financing mechanisms needed to realise ICT policy goals. 
• Facilitate the broadest possible access to public domain information. 
• Promote the development and dissemination of local ICT products and services. 
• Promote usage of ICTs throughout all sectors of society including disadvantaged groups. 
• Strengthen the existing ICT institutional, legal and regulatory framework. 
• Create a conducive and secure environment for producers and consumers of information over electronic networks. 
• Promote collaboration and co-ordination among all sectors of the economy and at regional and international levels. 

Government as a leader, in collaboration with other stakeholders, is committed to the following overall strategies. 
 1. Establishing legal and institutional mechanisms to ensure the successful implementation of the ICT policy by: 
• Developing an enabling legal and regulatory framework that balances the interests of consumers with creating an environment that fosters a robust and profitable ICT sector. 
• Enacting new laws to promote trust and confidence in a digital environment. 
• Putting in place a sustainable institutional framework to coordinate, support and monitor the implementation of the ICT policy, strategies and plans. 
• Ensuring that policies, rules and regulations developed for the ICT sector advocate regulatory transparency, protect the consumer, promote competition and support technological neutrality. 

2. Providing leadership in ICT development by: 
• Establishing a coordination mechanism to ensure implementation of the ICT policy. 
• Aligning ICT development with the country’s broad economic and development plans. 
• Leading the adoption of ICTs by making Government a model user in the delivery and the development of electronic services to Basotho. 
• Launching ICT awareness campaigns throughout the country. 

3. Investing in ICT education and human resource development by: 
• Requiring that ICT literacy and training programmes are available throughout the education system and within the public at large. 
• Growing the resource pool of ICT professionals with standardised skill sets and ensuring that appropriate incentives are in place to retain these workers. 
• Encouraging life-long learning among the population at large and promoting on the job training and retraining within the public and private sectors. 
• Promoting electronic distance learning and training to maximise scarce resources and expand access to educational training and research.  

4. Encouraging the production and wide distribution of local multi-media content by: 
 • Promoting the production of local ICT products and services that reflect the needs, interests and culture of the country. 
• Promoting universal, equitable and affordable access to ICT infrastructure and services so as to ensure universal access to information and knowledge. 
• Committing to the principles of freedom of the press, right to information as well as independence, pluralism and diversity of media ownership in order to improve quality and access to information. 
• Supporting the development of a three-tiered system of broadcasting, consisting of public, commercial and community broadcasters that are fully independent in all editorial and operational matters.  

5. Promoting the growth of the private sector by: 
• Improving access to credit facilities and availability of capital. 
• Encouraging businesses to go on-line in order to expand customer bases both within and outside the country. 
• Lowering barriers to entry for entrepreneurs/small and medium enterprises (SMMEs) by reducing tax and duty rates on computers, accessories and other information and communication technologies. 
• Providing incentives for entrepreneurs/SMMEs to become local developers and providers of ICT products and services. 

6. Ensuring universal access to ICTs by: 
• Promoting the development and adoption of international standards to ensure that consumers can easily access ICT services worldwide. 
• Promoting the development of affordable, user-friendly ICT products and services that are appropriate to local needs. 
• Establishing ICT public access points in places such as post offices, schools, libraries and rural health care clinics among others. 
• Encouraging the deployment of innovative, scalable technologies that can reduce the cost of service. 
• Paying attention to the special needs of marginalised groups of society, including women, youth, the disabled, the disenfranchised and the elderly. 

7. Guiding infrastructure expansion needed to support the delivery of ICTs by: 
• Ensuring that ICT infrastructure is widely available at an affordable price to support the delivery of telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and multimedia services. 
• Ensuring that the deployment of ICT infrastructure is not constrained by inadequate transport and energy infrastructure. 
• Encouraging all government and public sector institutions including educational institutions, health centres, post offices and government ministries and departments to get connected to ICT infrastructure. 
• Supporting the rollout of ICT public access telecentres in each district capital. 

8. Promoting regional and international cooperation by: 
• Pro-actively collaborating with development partners and regional and international organisations to encourage technology transfer and capacity building. 
• Becoming a leading participant in global ICT initiatives and projects in order to channel funds needed to promote the diffusion of ICTs in Lesotho. 
• Disseminating information regarding international best practices and experiences of other countries in use of ICTs for development. 
 

Policy/Regulation Mirrors

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