Minister for Communications Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has cut the sod for work to begin on 30 new community ICT facilities across the country.

The project, which is expected to be completed within three months, has been inspired by a survey conducted by the Ministry which revealed that many communities have no access to basic electronic platforms provided by the government for services due to the lack of an ICT centre.

The GH¢8 million project to be funded by the Ghana Investment for Electronic Communications, (GIFEC) will also serve as a business resource centre for rural areas.

Speaking to JoyBusiness after a sod-cutting ceremony in Asuom, one of the beneficiary communities in the Eastern region, Communication Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful explains that the outbreak of covid 19 has made it necessary for such facilities to be provided in all communities to improve the various e-learning programs enrolled by the government.

She said “Indeed, this period has clearly demonstrated that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is vital to keep us all safely connected today. The whole world was caught unawares with the scale and intensity of this pandemic which has brought our inadequate digital infrastructure into sharp focus.

“Ghana is better than most in our region but we still do not have a robust and adequate ICT infrastructure that can provide us with the tools we need to live and work remotely. These CICs also double as community resource centres to provide business services and community development information within remote communities,” she said.

The Administrator for the Ghana Investment for Electronic Communications, Kofi Asante urged beneficiary communities to ensure that the facilities to be provided are put to good use.

Among the communities to benefit include Dodowa, Winneba, Prampram, Atonso among others.

The Centres will also serve as connectivity hubs for Ministries, Departments and Agencies, health facilities, educational institutions and, even online businesses to utilize for their work. These agencies will be required to pay a small fee to cover the operational expenses of the Centres.