Luweero to host second business process outsourcing IT hub
NITU-U officials and the NRM party Deputy Secretay General, Ms Rose Namayanja Nsereko (C) at Luweero Town Council where the planned BPO- hub will be established to facilitate residents from the greater Luweero District. PHOTO/ DAN WANDERA
The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) IT hub piloted by the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U)) for a population that can sell out their respective services through use of the internet and IT facilities targets the global marketing trends easily accessible through the internet services.
The BOP hub that is second to one piloted at the Statistics House in Kampala City will be a coordination center for business persons from the Districts of Nakaseke, Luweero and Nakasongola willing to take advantage of the IT center managed and facilitated by NITA-Uganda.
While a section of the stakeholders, including the leaders from the greater Luweero districts demand for lower internet rates to propel the usage of the IT hub for agro industrialization, a commitment from NITA-U officials to harmonize the rates through a wider coverage of the National Fiber Network could help check the high internet costs.
“The discussion to have the high costs for the internet services lowered is at the advanced stage and will soon get fixed. It is very true that the high cost of the internet greatly impacts IT usage but we are determined to ensure that facilities are in place to boost accessibility. Digitalization is a global trend that we cannot ignore,” Mr Collins Babirukamu, the director e-Governance at NITA-U said.
Mr Ronald Ndaula, the Luweero District NRM party chairperson wants the BPO hub to open up job opportunities for the youth that cannot afford the high internet costs that come with the use of the IT in a world where digitalization takes the upper hand.
“We do not want this facility to become a white elephant in an area where several government projects have failed to take off. One of the greatest interventions would be reducing the cost of the internet services. It is true that internet accessibility has increased but remains expensive for the common people,” he said.
“One of the major interventions that are part of the NRM government manifesto is to roll the IT to the different areas and ensure that it benefits the youth among other groups in job creation, access to services and innovation. We are happy that the field of innovation is on course,” Ms Rose Namayanja Nsereko, the NRM party Deputy Secretary General told the stakeholders.
“It is true that the government first piloted the project at the Statistics House in Kampala but we want the same services for our people that are in the rural setting. This premised our resolve to pioneer the same project in the greater Luweero area. We shall also rollout the same projects for other regions. We need to embrace IT as a future solution to many of our challenges now,” she added.
Concerns from the stakeholders;
While NITA-U, the custodian of the Government IT programme insists that over 4,000kms of the fiber cable has been laid on the ground to boost internet access, a section of the stakeholders are demanding for more tangible projects that can easily change the livelihoods of the people in the greater Luweero.
Mr Erusto Kibirango the Luweero District LC5 Chairperson has tasked NITA-U to commit to the sensitization of the public, the benefits of such an IT hub soon after setting up the infrastructure.
“We do not want to go out and preach what we are yet to see on the ground. We have given you the buildings but want the equipment fixed in time. This is when we shall alert our people on the availability of the services,” he said on Saturday.
