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The Government Chief Whip, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, has assured the House that the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U) will continue to execute works on key projects after the rationalisation process has been concluded by Parliament.
“Under the policy of rationalisation, NITA-U was earmarked to be rationalised, but it is one of the two organisations earmarked to benefit from a transitional period of three years,” said Obua.
He made the clarification in response to concerns raised by Hon. Tom Alero (NRM, West Moyo County) on the progress of implementation of the national backbone infrastructure connectivity and e-government infrastructure projects.
Alero noted that in May 2019, President Yoweri Museveni launched phase four of the connectivity project for West Nile, adding that government has secured loan provisions from EXIM Bank and the World Bank to implement phase five of the programme.
“I would also like to know when the programme will extend to remote, hard-to-reach areas in parishes, and sub-counties in all the districts in West Nile. There are villages like Arapi and Bari in Moyo District where there is no internet connectivity,” said Alero.
Obua noted that when the rationalisation Bills are brought before Parliament and processed, the programmes under NITA-U will carry on to completion.
“When the rationalisation Bills are passed with the transitional clause, it will give NITA-U an opportunity to implement the projects under the Chinese loan, and also under the World Bank loan, which encompass the last mile connection that the Honourable Member is talking about. So all is not lost, we have hope that we shall cross the bridge when we get there,” said Obua.
The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, gave the Minister for ICT and National Guidance a week within which to update Parliament on areas to be covered by the national backbone infrastructure connectivity project, which will be followed up by the House Committee on ICT and National Guidance.