Draft Regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Development Strategy

The global economy is changing and affecting the way the Region needs to plan its economic and social growth in that new economy. The shift in the economy from manufacturing to services places ‘knowledge work’ and the human resource as key factors of production in sustainable development. Global statistics show productivity gains in all sectors resulting from use of ICT, and further evidence shows the relationship between productivity and broadband availability.1 In this regard, ICT infrastructure underpins the knowledge economy of the so-called ‘Information Society’. The information society is seen as an inclusive, collective, and collaborative digital environment where individuals, organizations, and communities are empowered by the availability of information, access to it, and the means to share, analyze, and to generate knowledge through such interaction. Such a digital state promotes innovation and a creative environment, and enables the generation of wealth based on knowledge, skills, open competition, increased capacity, and efficiency.