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Bank's four
objectives to accomplish ICT development; 1) economic development
to promote information sector expansion for creating wealth
and advancing its equitable distribution, 2) social development
to reduce poverty and enhanced human resource development 3) sustainable
development to improve decision-makers' access to the information
that is vital to better policy making and development investment
management and 4) governance development objective to enhance
the credibility of governments and strengthen their capacity to
work with the private sector and civil society, by increasing
the effectiveness of their work.
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Teletopia/I
can 21:
One of the example of creative communities/ community-driven approach
is a program being promoted and carried out by many different
Japanese Ministries such as Ministry of Trade and Industries (MITI),
Ministry of Agriculture. The most prominet program is the one
carried out by the Japanese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications
(MPT). For more than a decade, this MPT program, initially called
"TELETOPIA" and currently known as "ICAN21" (short for Information
Community Area Network 21) has enhanced the capacity of municipal
governments to work with the private sector and citizen groups
in their communities. Each community pursues economic, social
and political objectives by creating a citywide development plan
that uses technologies of information and communications to create
intelligent communities, or cyber cities. Such transformational
community planning includes provision for local multimedia/software
development industries (Gifu City), utilizing telemedicine (the
city of Madarao), and creating tele-education or telecommuting
opportunities for the citizens.
The community's
need for telecommunications infrastructure (processing and terminal
equipment, local transport and termination, as well as long-haul
and uplink capabilities). The MPT submits and evaluates the financial
requirements for the infrastructure. Once programs are certified
by the MPT, the Japanese government provides the applicant communities
(muni-cipalities themselves, private sector actors and/or NGOs)
with tax incentives, low- or no-interest loans, debt guarantees,
and other subsidies and support, to enable these applicant municipalities
to implement their plans. The MPT has certified more than 150
cities in Japan.
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