Ministry of Information and Communications Technology
Telephone: 256 (414) 236 262 |Fax: 256 (414) 231 314
E-mail: webmaster@ict.go.ug | Web: www.ict.go.ug
location: Fourth Floor, Social Security House, Jinja Road Kampala, Uganda Postal Address: P.O Box 7817, Kampala, Uganda  Minister Tumwebaze urges Posta Uganda to adjust to new technology The Minister for ICT and Technology Frank Tumwebaze has advised postal services provider Posta Uganda to adopt fast to new technological trends or face collapse.The minister said that the 65 year old company must adjust its services to the changing digital climate, and only then will it be able to catch up with the speeding technological developments.Posta Uganda which is owned majorly by the Finance Ministry was only known for moving letters in envelops from one point to another, more so in schools and public offices. Indeed, the company still has over 300 offices in different parts of the country.“At my secondary school I used to send letters to my girlfriend using Posta Uganda but now it’s not as necessary as then, because children use technology and the message is transferred very fast which may take days for Posta to deliver’’While addressing the media at the Uganda Media Center, Minister Tumwebaze urged the leaders of Posta Uganda to introduce transportation services for bigger packages and also track them using for instance GPS technology just like the Uganda Revenue Authority does. Read more ▪ Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT),Mr Frank Tumwebaze: How innovation fund will boost start-ups in Uganda Opportunity is on the rise in Africa. I have been worried that Uganda will be left out, until Mr Frank Tumwebaze was appointed Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). However much entrepreneurs and innovators try, making real progress without a supportive government is difficult. Governments that take bold action to support innovation will create jobs and change the lives of the population.Do not get me wrong Mr Tumwebaze and the government of Uganda will not perform miracles overnight but I see a ray of hope.The new minister called for a forum with ICT innovators. On August 30 and September 1, the President wrote a letter directing for a fund to be created for ICT innovation. If you are not impressed by the $4.5 million (Shs15.3 billion) you will surely be impressed by the turnaround time.Read more ▪  MOI: Uganda Eyes Islamic Bank for U.S.$83 Million Loan Uganda's Cabinet has approved a proposal to borrow $83,750,000 from the Islamic Development Bank in a project that will make electricity distribution countrywide more efficient.According to information minister, Rose Namayanja, the money is for construction of a 132Kv line between Mirama and Kabale in Western Uganda. This is part of a major project to upgrade the national transmission network."Cabinet therefore noted the need to acquire financing for the construction of the Mirama-Kabale 132KV transmission lines and associated distribution network in south-Western, North and North- Eastern regions of Uganda."Cabinet also approved the proposal to borrow up to $83.75 million from the Islamic Development Bank," Namayanja said.The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is an international financial institution established by the Conference of Finance Ministers of Muslim countries held in Jeddah. The IsDB Board of Executive Directors under the Chairmanship of IDB President, Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali, approved $814.2 million for development financing in several countries. For fiscal year $5 billion in total is available. Read more ▪ Uganda expects to create employment opportunities for three million people in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector by 2020. The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, John Nasasira, said in addition to employment opportunities, government revenue was expected to increase to sh600b annually. He said what is needed now is providing support and an enabling environment to spur growth in the sector. Nasasira made the remarks at a workshop at Serena Hotel in Kampala on the sector’s strategic investment plan. He said funding was expected to be supplemented by other sectors. The minister predicted an increase in the country’s ICT development indices. He said the sector is expected to be more vibrant, with an enhanced legal and regulatory environment. He noted that more citizens are expected to afford and access ICT services. In turn, it would spur social economic transformation to consolidate ICT development, he said. Read more ▪ |