Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Enhanced Integrated Framework ...

the process of considering a transformation topublic-private partnership in order to ensurethat its curriculum meets the needs of the privatesector (which has a huge demand forproperly skilled workers).The ICT Council is the primary forum for allstakeholders in the ICT sector. It consists of allof government institutions that have ICT activitiesand is open to all other institutions as theyacquire ICT infrastructure and applications.The ICT Council is chaired by the First VicePresident and its total membership is fully inclusiveof all interested parties, including theprivate sector, civil society organizations, andacademia. The National Assembly has becomean important institutional player in the ICTsector, both in terms of policy and utilization.The role of the private sector is central to thisstrategy. A modern telecommunications sector,incorporating e-government initiatives whereverpossible, will enhance the effectivenessand efficiency of the public sector. By mobilizingresources to build up the ICT sector withinthe public sector institutions, MoCIT will alsobe accelerating the development of ICT supportcapabilities of the private sector in Afghanistan,both through contracts and via participation inthe policy processes of the ICT Council.The ICT sector is Afghanistan’s biggest successstory in terms of attracting private sector investment,$925 million as of the end of 2007.This is expected to reach $1.5 billion by end2010. According to numerous studies this is byfar the largest investment in the licit economy.Expected outcomesThe key expected outcomes in the Informationand Communications Technology sector are;• Improved Enabling Environment• Improved Infrastructure with Fiber Opticand Copper.• E-Afghanistan created• ICT Literacy improvedIt is expected there will be wide communityacceptance of ICT facilities. Access to facilitieswill be expanded. Government administrationwill be predictable and unbiased, in accordwith all legislation. The role of the private sectorwill be increased. ICT access will be generallyavailable in education institutions, includingmany primary and secondary schools. Fordetail information regarding outcomes refer toaction plan and M&E matrices. For detail informationrefer to Appendixes 3-National ActionPlan and 4-Monitoring Matrix.URBAN DEVELOPMENTRole of the sector in ANDS:The ANDS strategic vision and goal for urbandevelopment sector is to ensure increased accessto improved services, and affordable shelterwhile promoting sustainable economic developmentas part of efforts to reduce urbanpoverty through encouragement of private investment.The urban areas in the country willbecome hubs for economic growth with all basicinfrastructure and services. The managementof urban areas will be improved throughthe devolution of authority and responsibilityto municipalities in ways that improve urbaninfrastructure and services, reduce urban povertyand allow urban residents to live safe,healthy and productive lives and cities to growand prosper. Effective management of therapid urbanization process will make a significantcontribution to the recovery of the country.Cities contribute to economic growththrough their high productivity as a result ofeconomies of scale and agglomeration, and byproviding opportunities for the accumulationof capital, investment, trade and production.Urban investments create employment opportunitiesand urban jobs account for a disproportionateshare of GDP. Urban growth canstimulate rural development through increasedemand for food, markets for rural products,off-season employment for farmers, and remittancesand provide opportunities to movegoods and services in the region. However,cities are often linked to increased violence,crime and insecurity. Improving the urbanenvironment, the supply of urban services,providing employment opportunities, utilizingthe potential resources and improving the livelihoodsof the population will lead to improvementsin security.The importance of effective management of theurban development process has been recognizedin the Afghanistan Compact benchmarks:100Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)