Cairo gathering tackles IT development

"The government is especially interested in refurbishing Information Technology (IT) sector, which plays a substantial role in increasing growth rate and production ridding the country poverty, said Minister of Planning and State for International Cooperation Ahmed Al-Darsh, who was addressing on monday a one-day gathering of Regional Information Technolgy (IT) Conference.

Providing information is a significant element in improving social status in Egypt and increasing flow of commodities to international markets, Darsh added in his speech at the opening of a conference on IT and communications for development, organized by the Communications Ministry in tandem with the World Bank (WB).

Darsh urged international financial institutions and donor countries to play an effective role to narrow the technological gap between rich and poor countries via coordinating development assistance, ameliorating infrastructure, providing training services and tailoring education systems necessary to build the information community.

"Egypt secured loans and aid to the tune of $ 80 million from the USAID since late 1970 to upgrade the communications and information sector," Darsh said.

On his part, Minister of Communications Ahmad Nazif said that Egypt will finish setting up 300 computer and Internet service centers by next June.

"An integrated plan for acceding to the era of e-commerce is being drawn up in tandem with the Economy and Foreign Trade Ministry," said Nazif, noting that legislative and legal frameworks that organize e-commerce are being forged.

He added that the government is carrying out a progamme to train 5.000 youths annually, in addition to 20,000 youths who receive computer and internet skills for free since last May.