ICT Park On Course- Minister

Haruna Iddrisu (2nd left) admiring architectural model of the ICT Park.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday June 10, 2011.
The first-ever Information Communication Technology (ICT) Park being spearheaded by the government in its bid to make information technology the mainstay of the country’s economy is on course, according to Minister of Communications Haruna Iddrisu.

The park, to be sited in Tema in the Greater Accra Region, is one of initiatives of the government to provide enabling environment for ICT development and it is being established in collaboration with the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Information and Technology Enabled Services (ITES).

The project, estimated at $10 million which will be the first of its kind in the West African sub-region, would stimulate start-ups and ensure the growth of indigenous technology and knowledge based businesses.

It is also designed to provide infrastructure and business-support services to assist export oriented SME ICT businesses and other ITES/BPO firms.

At a workshop to review the master plan, draft, drawings and designs of the proposed ICT Park, Minister of Communications, Haruna Iddrisu said “we have moved beyond the drawing board and are on course to make the project become real.”

He said the money is ready for the take-off of the project and there was the need to subject the designs to ‘thorough scrutiny’ so that export oriented services could take advantage upon completion.

“It is going to promote ICT research and development. We are determined to prime ICT as an enabler of our investment drive.”

He said “we have language, location and time to our advantage therefore we should be able to harness our resources effectively.”

The Minister said upon completion the project is expected to create about 10,000 jobs, adding “it requires the giant effort from the government and we will provide the needed leadership to make it happen.”

Caimin Jones of Garland Ormond International, Consulting Civil and Structural Engineering, who are providing technical advice for the project, said Ghana stands to benefit enormously from the project after its completion.

He said “the park can be turned into a marketing model to attract major brand names in the world.”