 6: Develop physical infrastructure and utilities to ensure all Solomon Islanders have access to essential services and markets. 77. The alleviation of poverty in Solomon Islands is one of the Government’s very highest priorities. The importance of the role that ICT can play in economic development is now widely accepted: 27 The role of ICTs as a key development enabler is widely recognized. While the ICT sector itself can be a major source of growth, diffusion of ICTs in the economy has been found to facilitate macroeconomic performance and business growth by increasing labour productivity, enlarging enterprises’ market reach, reducing costs and favouring innovation. Access to new technologies is important to ensure full participation by all people in new opportunities related to employment, education, health, governance or peacebuilding, thus accelerating progress towards the achievement of other development goals. 78. In a widely-quoted estimate, one World Bank paper has suggested that a 10% increase in broadband penetration is statistically associated with a 1.38% boost to GDP in developing nations.28Although the magnitude of the boost to GDP probably depends on a host of factors, 29the same paper reports: “The main conclusion is that broadband has a significant impact on growth and deserves a central role in country development and competitiveness strategies.30 79. Expansion in the accessibility and use of ICT would potentially support existing strategies for poverty alleviation, peace and stability, including the following development strategies:31  Strengthening agricultural support services.  Building farmer-to-farmer support and improving access to inputs and markets. 27 Report of the Partnership on Measuring Information and Communication Technology for Development (2014) para 3, available at: <http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc14/2014-8-ICT-E.pdf>. (The Partnership comprises the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and several other multinational bodies.) 28 Qiang CZ, Rossotto CM and Kimura K “Economic Impacts of Broadband” in World Bank Information and Communications for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact (2000) at 45. 29 Whether this estimate, based on average broadband penetration for middle- and low-income countries between 1980 and 2006, holds true for any particular country will depend on a variety of factors, including whether complementary investments or policies are in place in other sectors to utilize the benefits of broadband: see Williams MDJ “Advancing the Development of Backbone Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa” in Information and Communications for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact (World Bank, 2009) 30 31 Qiang, op cit. (Emphasis added.) Solomon Islands Government National Development Strategy 2011 - 2020 (2011) pp 10 – 13. Page | 28 Solomon Islands National ICT Policy