The government is likely to allocate about Tk1,214 crore for the Information and Communication Technology Division in the national budget for the next fiscal year.
Of the amount, about Tk1,073 crore would be allocated to spend on development of the ICT sector, officials said.
They said the government has made the separate division within the Post, Telecommunication and ICT Ministry to give a boost to the ICT sector to make “Digital Bangladesh” under the “Vision 2021”. The allocation would be given in the upcoming budget to support achieving the target, they added.
However, the division in its pre-budget proposal had sought over Tk2,237 crore for building a digital Bangladesh by 2021.
In a letter to Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed, ICT Secretary Shyam Sunder Sikder sought the allocation for the next fiscal year 2015-16 for greater interest of the country.
Shyam Sunder told the Dhaka Tribune the government has declared ‘Vision 2021’ with a target to make Bangladesh a middle-income country by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
“Information Technology has been identified as the thrust sector for the economy of Bangladesh. So we need sufficient money to create a favourable business environment.”
The proposed budget for the ICT division for next fiscal year is Tk1,088 crore and 55 lakh.
“We need more than the stated amount of money to implement all approved projects and also some extra fund to pay 692 employees at district and upazila level offices under the ICT division,” mentioned the letter.
The additional amount is required to create awareness and implement important projects, it said, adding that the ICT division plays an essential role in achieving vision 2021 in information technology sector.
As a priority sector, ICT division has proposed 32 projects under the Annual development programmes (ADP) for the next fiscal year and Tk987 crore 40 lakh 16 thousand are required as block allocation if new projects are approved at ADP.
To implement vision 2021, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made ICT division separate under the Ministry of Post, Telecommunication and ICT where activities of the division are gradually increasing.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
