ICT Policy legal framework and e-strategy development for Somaliland (5-7 May 2007)

[Jacaylbaro]

December 26

 

ICT Policy legal framework and e-strategy development for Somaliland (5-7 May 2007)

The workshop has been held at Mansoor Hotel, Hargeisa, Somaliland

 

It was intended for amplifying a doctrine that will lay the foundations of an innovative ICT policy process that standardizes activity opportunities created by the emergence of next generation, the focus was particularly on harnessing and utilizing the ICT potentials to attain socio-economic development in Somaliland.

 

There have been fewer anecdotes on the status of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Somaliland. This may be attributed to the long drawn regional political conflicts and the absence of an internationally recognition of the government of Somaliland.

 

Since the cessation of the union with Somalia in 1991. The country was in the process of recovering from the mayhem that hampered the formation of legal and functioning system which has resulted the inability to return to political and administrative normalcy which has inhibited the lack of planned standardized ICT growth and has led to the private sector to overtake the government’s role.

 

This story marks a first attempt to take stock of Somaliland ICT e-strategy needs with a focus on appropriate ICT and e-strategy policy and regulation framework, infrastructure development, human resource and stakeholder’s participation and establishment of rigorous institutional and capacity building for Somaliland government to streamline and strengthen the government core participation vs private sector empowerment.

 

The Minister of posts and telecommunications Hon. Liban Dualeh Assayr, had declared the official launch of the workshop with his speech beginning with” the Somaliland government has now came to realize that its important for the government to recognize the importance of ICT in the national development process; said Hon. Liban Assayr” today is a privilege for the Somaliland government to stimulate policy development initiative that mainstreams ICTs in national development process; and then as he declared that the workshop was officially open.

 

After the official opening of the workshop, a very interesting and challenging debates had followed the speech of the Minister, which has attracted all the participants to focus on the debate, a structured dialogue methodology has been framed which has rationalized the tension between the different stakeholders. Participants of this workshop including namely: H.E. Ahmed Yusuf Yassein Vice President of Republic of Somaliland, Mr. Paul Simkin, UNDP Deputy Governance Programme Manager, Hon. Liban Dualeh Assayr, MOPT, Hon. Ali Ibrahim Mohamed Minister of Planning, Somaliland Press/Media, ICT entrepreneurs and the telecom stakeholders, cellular mobile operators, international voice gateways operators, commercial VSAT operators, internet backbone and gateway operators, public data network operators, internet service providers and call centers e.g. Telesom, Telcom, Dahabshiil, STC, SOLTELCO, AFRICA ONLINE, FILAT TEL and all major actors in the ICT industry in Somaliland.

 

Immediately all participating groups were optimistic that a positive outcome will be reached after the rollout of this conference; which will contribute a better understanding of the requirements that are seen as necessary or highly desirable if ICT stakeholders are to move their ICT resources forwards in a sustainable, coherent and reliable manner. The main pattern from the first thematic area was that there is need to develop an ICT policy at the macro level, and even more needs to be done in the sensitization and implementation of this policy since at present, the running and management of the existing structures is done in an ad hoc manner and driven by the capitalist ideals of the private sector.

 

At the micro level, many stakeholders have neither explicit budgets, internal policies and plans for ICT nor are the funds where available being coordinated within any internal comprehensive ICT framework. In the second thematic area, this anecdote found that there is significant lack of ICT skills. The specific skills to enable ‘effective’ utilization of ICT equipment as end users/beneficiaries of computers and telephony equipment are lacking in almost all ministries.

 

There are also no local technical skills that can be utilized to provide technical support in the installation and maintenance of ICT equipment. Standardizing Somaliland ICT e-strategy which was intended for the aim of bringing together the ICT entrepreneurs and the telecom stakeholders, cellular mobile operators, international voice gateways operators, commercial VSAT operators, internet backbone and gateway operators, public data network operators, internet service providers and call centers e.g. Telesom, Telcom, Dahabshiil, STC, SOLTELCO, AFRICA ONLINE, FILAT TEL and all major actors in the ICT industry in Somaliland.

 

The interaction between the government and the different stakeholders went well without any hesitation and guardedness by identifying together hot issues with regard to ICT sequencing strategy for post-recovery situation, including roles each and every sector should play as Government, Private sector, Civil Society and Academia. The workshop has created an enabling environment to harness ICT as a tool for development and help country recovery process by attracting investment. This will concentrate in social and human development; however, the focus would be the policy and e-strategy formulation development, ICT capacity building by creating policies for Policy formulation development.

 

 

HERE