Click Here & Upgrade PDF Complete Expanded Features Unlimited Pages Documents CHAPTER 3 VISION The national ICT Policy is aligned to the following vision statement. A Zambia transformed into an information and knowledge-based society and economy supported by consistent development of, and pervasive access to ICTs by all citizens by 2030. 3.1 VISION ELEMENTS In realising the above vision; (a) The Government recognises the strategic opportunities and benefits that Information and Communication Technology offers to accelerate social and economic development across the country; (b) The Government realises that access to information and knowledge are some of the pre- requisites for wealth creation and for effective participation of Zambia in the global economy currently dominated by information and knowledge-based societies; (c) The Government further recognises the critical role that a high capacity, reliable and geographically distributed telecommunications backbone infrastructure covering the entire country can offer in accelerating ICT penetration; providing access to information and knowledge resources, domestic and global markets as well as in creation of empowerment opportunities for all Zambians; (d) The Government acknowledges the need for integrated national planning in order to ensure that other sectors of the economy benefit from the deployment of ICTs as part of social and economic development; (e) The Government is aware that the transition from a natural resource to a knowledge -based economy will depend on visionary leadership as well as the availability of quality human resource needed to steer the nation into an information society; (f) The Government is cognisant of the global and regional trends of the convergence of technologies, services and products and the resulting impact In managing the telecommunications, computing, broadcasting, media and postal services sub-sectors; (g) The Government is fully aware that ICTs alone cannot have an appreciable impact on Zambia s development prospects unless the use of ICTs in the society and economy is done within the context of poverty reduction 19