Click Here & Upgrade PDF Complete Expanded Features Unlimited Pages Documents b) Provide special licensing obligations and incentives to providers of toll-free and other subsidised services; c) Use the Post Offices and public libraries as primary points for interaction In E- Government and E-Commerce applications across the country; d) Promote community-based ICT initiatives including telemedicine, multi purpose community mobile/stationery telecenters, tele-education and schoolnet Initiatives to accelerate the spread of ICTs within the communities using the PPP model; e) Develop special initiatives and incentives targeted at the growth of SME entrepreneurs especially youths and women to support the provision of valueadded ICT services in all districts; f) Facilitate the planning, designing and development of a scalable and high quality digital transmission network in all districts to support fixed and mobile communications, internet and data services as well as radio and TV reception; g) Support the decentralization process by establishing multi-purpose community information centres in conjunction with the respective local authorities in each district; h) Intensify public awareness initiatives on the benefits of ICTs. 6.4 DEVELOPING THE ICT SECTOR The Zambian ICT sector is small and under-developed, with the majority of the companies and businesses operating in the sector being small-to-medium scale enterprises, most of which lack the necessary capacity and resources to expand and compete effectively in the domestic, regional and international market. The Zambian ICT industry is hardly involved in the production and development of local ICT products resulting in service providers being involved mainly in retailing (supplying imported computer hardware and software as complete systems) of computer products as well as providing basic IT services. On the other hand the privatisation of ZCCM and restructuring of Zambia Railways has resulted in high inactivity in software development centres operated under the above institutions before the privatisation process. This has affected the managerial and professional development capacity in IT services and software engineering in the country. 31

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