World Bank to support establishment of Technology Park

Jumapo (E/R), Sept. 17, GNA - The government has received a 4.2 million-dollar credit facility from the World Bank to establish a Technology Park at the Tema free zone enclave.

The facility would include a software competency centre that would provide quality assurance testing and training for software developers especially the Open Source System.

The Director of IT Enabled Services (ITES) secretariat of the Ministry of Communications, Mr Kwasi Adu-Gyan, said this at the Software Freedom Day celebration at Jumapo on Saturday.

Mr Adu-Gyan said measures to ensure the development of an accreditation policy, uniform skills, set and standardized curriculum and accreditation policy for the non-formal ICT training providers had been put in place by the ITES.

He said the mandate of the ITES was to develop a strong and vibrant IT industry by providing financial assistance and investment and promotion of the industry in collaboration with the private sector.

Mr Adu-Gyan said it was becoming expensive for the ministries of Communications and Education, Youth and Sports to provide ICT access through the community information centre project or the education reform process.

Therefore, there is the need for an alternative system such as the Linux whose application and operations would be free of charge. The Director of Busy-Internet, a private ICT facility, Ms Estelle Akofio-Sowah, said although government was doing well in embracing the ICT process wholly, government needed to be more aggressive. She said moves such as infrastructure and support to the private sector in ICT were all positive indications of the governments' interest in ICT.

The Organizer of Linux Group, a free open source ICT system, Rev Opare Darko said it was high time that ICT became free so that cost would not be a barrier to any group of persons.

He said the day had been organized to create awareness about the Linux that was a new system in the ICT industry to expand access to its services.

Rev Darko said the Linux was a new computer system that, apart from its free open source, was also free from virus invasion and called on government and all other ICT minded organizations to embrace the Linux system. Members of the Linux group, Busy-Internet and other ICT users earlier on embarked on a float through some of the principal streets of the town to create awareness about the new system.