ICT Household Usage Survey to be conducted

Accra, Sept. 19, GNA - A Senior Research Scientist on Wednesday called for a reliable data on Information Communication Technology (ICT) to enable policymakers to formulate policies and strategies for ICT growth.

Dr. Godfred Frempong, of the Scientific and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of the Council for Scientific Industrial Research said the indicators would also help monitor and evaluate social and economic developments related to ICT and enhance government's vision on ICT.

Dr. Frempong made the call when he launched the second survey on household Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Accra. The survey, which is expected to end by the end of the year in Ghana, would also be conducted in 18 other African countries that are members of the Research ICT Africa Network. It would help government assess the effectiveness of its universal policy on ICT.

It would be conducted by the Scientific and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in collaboration with the Statistical Services Department in Accra, Tema, Kumasi and some selected regional capitals and rural areas throughout the country.

The survey with support from the International Development Research Centre in Canada will cover 1,200 households. Dr Frempong said the survey would help in the achievement of government's ICT policy vision of engineering an ICT-led socio-economic development process with the potential of transforming Ghana into a middle income, knowledge-based, information rich and technology driven economy.

He said it would foster comparative analysis between Ghana and other African countries on the use and development of ICT services at the household level and provide data on household ICT usage to international organizations responsible for ICT data collection. He explained that the first survey conducted in 2004, involved 10 African countries including Ghana and its findings had policy implications for countries involved.

"In Ghana, it was evident that there is a huge demand for ICT services in the rural areas, and therefore it was important for Ghana to develop pragmatic programmes to end rural exclusion from the digital revolution".

He called on households to avail themselves of the survey and to enable them to achieve its purpose.