Private, in particular Locally-Based, Sector Driven Development Importance of the private sector in developing ICTs has been, as noted above, recognised by Target 8.F of the Millennium Development Goals, the outcomes of the World Summit of Information Society as well as the Pacific ICT Ministers’ Meeting in Tonga in 2009. In the Priorities and Action Agenda the Government also expressed its belief “that the role of Government is to promote inclusive economic growth, and that the private sector should be the engine of this growth”. The Government also notes the positive experience in Vanuatu where the private sector, unleashed by the liberalisation of the telecommunications market, tremendously expanded access to mobile communications. Furthermore, the vibrant local information technology sector has also contributed to the development of ICTs in Vanuatu. The Government therefore considers that its’ primary role should be to provide a direction to, enable, facilitate, and encourage development of the ICT sector, including via setting appropriate policies, establishing an appropriate legal framework, providing effective regulation, and, where appropriate, implementing initiatives that would expand and enhance the sector. Its interventions should be limited to cases (and extent), where the Government’s actions would add a significant value in terms of the socio-economic development that would not happen otherwise. Generally, however, the deployment of infrastructure as well as the provision of services, content, applications and solutions should be left to the private sector. The Government believes that the private sector should be unleashed to play such a role in the most effective manner. The Government considers that generally profit and private value motives provide an appropriate basis for sustainable solutions contributing to the achievement of the overall objective of this Policy. It, however, expects the private sector to take a long-term approach to value (including shared value44) creation, rather than short-term profit maximisation, and to demonstrably and proactively seek to satisfy current and future ICT needs of businesses, residents and the public sector, in particular in relation to the overall objective and Priorities of this Policy. Without prejudice to the importance of sustainable competition, the Government also expects private sector players to collaborate among themselves in ensuring that ICT sector development needs are met in the most-cost efficient manner. The Government recognises that the transparency and predictability of the business environment is important for the private sector to be able to take a long-term shared-value-creating approach. This Policy provides a degree of this. The Government is committed to further improve such transparency and predictability, including in such areas as tax and customs policies. The Government is also committed to provide a non-discriminatory environment, without undue favouritism, that would enable private sector players that serve 44 Porter and Kramer (2011) describe creating shared value as creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges. They further explain that “[t]he concept of shared value can be defined as policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. Shared value creation focuses on identifying and expanding the connections between societal and economic progress.” Porter, M. E. and Kramer, M. R. (2011). ‘Creating Shared Value’. Harvard Business Review. January 2011. Accessible at: http://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-shared-value. Approaches and Principles 35