e) Promote local development and manufacture or assembly of ICT software and hardware to ensure their availability at affordable cost. 11.2 Policy Statement: Empowerment and Indigenisation a) Define the ICT sector empowerment objectives and targets for equipment suppliers. a) Promote the use of Telecommunications. MVNO as a vehicle to implement empowerment in b) Facilitate the Public-Private Partnerships as an approach to enable empowerment. c) Enable local authorities to partner ICT service providers to empower communities. 11.3 Policy Statement: ICT Tax and Duties b) Work with other Ministries to limit tax on ICT equipment, accessories and products for a stipulated period. c) Provide tax incentives to companies that invest in ICT 12 Affordable Broadband for All – The Universal Services Fund Through the Universal Service Fund, the Government of Zimbabwe recognises the importance of ensuring universal availability and use of modern communications services across the country. The USF is therefore positioned as a vehicle to ensure accelerated access for marginalised areas of Zimbabwe, while in effect reducing the cost of ICTs to the majority of Zimbabwe’s population. The aim is to ensure broadband connectivity throughout the country by leveraging the Funds’ financial strength to build infrastructure; and to manage the Fund in a manner that ensures that it is self-financing in order to deliver on its mandate. 12.1 Policy Statement: Broadband Data Price and Last Mile Deployments a) Define and implement the regulatory framework and processes to rationalize data tariffs to make broadband services more affordable and to increase usage. b) Facilitate negotiations with upstream internet bandwidth suppliers to encourage continuous supply side internet price reduction. c) Leverage the national ICT backbone, SEPs and the WIOCC shareholding, among other options, to achieve supply side internet price reductions. d) Facilitate the deployment of last-mile technologies to reduce prices. e) Facilitate competition in ISPs as a mechanism to reduce prices to consumers. f) Pursue opportunities to grow the country’s shareholding interest in undersea cables. 30