Country Readiness Assessment Report – Kyrgyzstan Conclusion Strategically, Kyrgyzstan has few natural resources that can be used to spur overall economic development. However, it has an educated work force (literacy rate of 97 %), including a sizeable number of qualified computer specialists and programmers. The country has potential in some industries, such as hydro-electricity, tourism and water management. These industries require sophisticated information processing (management of electricity and water supply, promotion of tourism services over Internet, i.e., B2C systems). Kyrgyzstan is located on prospective intercontinental crossroads. The development of TRACEKA and the SilkRoad transport projects will require all types of telecommunication services to serve the day-to-day operations of transport corridors. While most traditional industries require a high level of investment, currently difficult or impossible for Kyrgyzstan, information technologies require relatively low initial investment. For a developing country, the most effective way to develop national ICT capabilities is to concentrate on initiatives that leverage the state’s limited resources to create the preconditions and favorable environment for private business development in ICT. The goal of the National ICT Strategy is to create appropriate conditions for the development of the IT sector of the economy, and to provide a basis for fast growth of private services in IT. 43