Seychelles launched national ICT policy

Seychelles is the latest COMESA member country to launch its national ICT policy this week. The development came just over a year after the first meeting of the local consultative committee charged with providing policy direction to the government on ICT growth in the country.

The document sets national ICT policy objectives in five key areas, notably in ICT Infrastructure, legal and regulatory framework, human resources development, as well as industry and government.

“Through this policy document, the government recognizes that accessible, affordable, high quality and well-regulated ICT facilities and services with and within Seychelles is critical to the realisation of its vision of a modern, ICT enabled and knowledge-based information society,” says the minister responsible for ICT, Jacquelin Dugasse.

The policy drew together the experiences of countries such as Singapore, Malta, Kenya, Mauritius, Botswana and others which have over the last few years undertaken a similar exercise.

In reply to criticism raised about the transparency of the exercise, minister Dugasse said the policy was approved by the government on September 8th this year, only after extensive consultations and discussions involving a wide range of participants from the public sector as well as civil society was made.

“This policy is truly a public–private partnership at the highest level. In ensuring wider participation in the development of the policy, its draft was also distributed to other stakeholders such as the Liaison Unit for Non-Governmental Organisations (LUNGOS), the Seychelles Lawyers Association and others.”

The policy among other things takes into account the objectives of the Seychelles Government with regard to Strategy 2017 and the 10 targets of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS).

“This will be achieved with the commitment to monitor the implementation of the policy, through the use of appropriate indicators and review when necessary,” says the principal Secreaty for ICT Benjamin Choppy.

The policy came to being with the financial and technical support of the Commonwealth, COMESA and the India Ocean Commission. Meanwhile, the consultative committee has been mandated with the formulation of a comprehensive national ICT strategic plan for 2007.

Cost is irrelevant. But speed not!

A leading Seychellois ICT pioneer is offering options to the government on how best to finance the country’s quest to get connected to a regional submarine fibre optic cable project.

Marc Hoareau the man credited with connecting Seychelles to the World Wide Web, says the private sector which is the sole providers of ICT services in Seychelles should be the principal backers of this national ambition.

“First and foremost, it’s right, because at the end of the day it’s not the government that’s providing telecom services to Seychelles. It’s simple. It’s Cable & Wireless. It’s Intelvision. It’s Airtel and even Kokonet,” says Hoareau.

In a recent interview, the minister responsible for ICT Jacquelin Dugasse said the project will cost between $US35 and 40 million.

In an exclusive interview with Seychelles Digital radio programme, Mr Hoareau points out Seychellois companies are currently paying satellite companies around $US25, 000 monthly for bandwidth.

“So why should I give IntelSat $US300, 000 a year if I was part of this project,” he states.

Mr Hoareau also offered the introduction of an ICT tax as a mean to repay a loan that Seychelles can borrow to invest in the venture.

“It‘s very simple. The people of Seychelles would understand. This is a tax and the benefits are huge. It’s not just for businesses in Seychelles, but for our future.”

Thirdly Mr Hoareau who’s the CEO of the leading ITC training centre VCS has challenged prominent financial institutions to support the country’s next development stage.

“What’s the point of having a new port, if we’re not going to have the telecommunication part to bolster fishing in the region? Tourism, you have new hotels being built. There’s online reservation into Seychelles. We have to be connected. We cannot continue to use satellite.”

The government recently revealed an ambitious plan for the next ten years dubbed Strategy 2017 in which ICT has been identify as the backbone of any future development.

“I think any government today that is smart enough to look at the future of their own country must realize that without Internet, without telecommunication, without the speed for us to process information, we’re going to be left way behind. So to me it’s something that needs to be done and as far as I’m concern, the cost is irrelevant,” concluded Mr. Hoaureau.

Are we there yet?

In his state of the nation address delivered this week, the Seychelles head of state, James Michel says Seychelles biggest challenge is connection to a submarine fibre optic cable.

His remark is the first admission from the Seychelles authority that the implementation of this project is still on the drawing board.

In his 2006 speech President Michel promised that his government would approach the private sector to form a partnership to provide the islands direct access to the Internet through a submarine cable link.

Twelve months on, the project is still a “discussion topic” on the government’s agenda.

“This is a very big project which will require a partnership between government and the private sector. A specific study on the project will start soon,” offered Mr Michel.

Eight years on after the arrival of the WWW on it shores, Seychelles remains totally dependent on satellites technology for its communications with the outside world.

Critics say President Michel’s admission should fuel calls from the business community urging the government to put its words into action.

“Such connection will provide faster Internet and telecommunication access and will allow the development of new businesses in that field,” says VCS’ Executive Chairman, Mark Hoareau.

To date one submarine cable has been laid in the Indian Ocean. SAFE (South Africa-Far East) is a connection of over 13,800 km from Cape Town in South Africa to Malaysia, linking Seychelles’ neighbours Mauritius, Reunion and India on the way.

Committee set up to advise on ICT development.

Seychelles is the latest COMESA member country to receive financial and technical assistance from the organisation in setting up a national ICT committee.

The National Information and Communication Technology Consultative Committee will provide the government with policy direction and advice on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development in the country.

The committee was launched following a half-day workshop on the terms of reference of the Regional Information and Communication Technologies Support Programme (RICTSP), chaired by Comesa's ICT coordinator Mercedes Marin Nortes.

The committee brings together the most knowledgeable and influential stakeholders in ICT matters from the country’s public and private sectors.

The minister responsible for technology, Jacquelin Dugasse says the Committee, “will act as a forum for the discussion of ideas which will lead to more effective use of ICT across the country and also resolve any issues that are identified as impeding ICT development.”

Critics have in the past questioned the government’s commitment in placing access to ICT at the centre of the country’s development agenda.

Earlier this month in his response to the 2007 budget speech, the leader of the opposition, Wavel Ramkalawan say “Seychelles should not only remain abreast of developments in ICT but also be part of the innovative process in order to optimize its full potential.”

No reports of the committee’s works have been made public yet.