Uganda has become the first country in the region to launch the East African Community (EAC) quality Web portal on standardization, quality assurance, metrology and testing (SQMT).

The objectives of the EAC QUALITY: EAC-QUALITY Home is to provide online services that include the directory of laboratories and institutions related to quality standards in the East African Community that include Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi and Tanzania.

The portal would act as an information exchange point between quality infrastructure institutions within the EAC.

It would also provide information about quality infrastructure focusing on the EAC in terms of the main components of the quality infrastructure, focus on special conditions of quality.

According to the Uganda National Bureau of Standards's (UNBS) standards manager, George Opiyo, the portal will serve members of the community, business enterprises and the SQMT community who will access reliable and up to date data and information.
He said those who want to send content to online editors can send to the following e-mail addresses: george.opiyo@unbs.go.ug; topista.agoa@unbs.go.ug; and unbs@infocom.co.ug.

Dr. Ham Mukasa Mulira, the Minister of Information Communication Technology who presided over the function said that in order to tap the opportunities of the 21st century, government odf Uganda practices an economic policy of openness, transparency and enabling environment to encourage private enterprises growth and investment.

"Government attaches primary importance to the development of the information communication technology sector and the use of the associated technologies considering it a key factor for accelerating social and economic development,". He said on Thursday.
"To that extent within the ICT, the government has taken deliberate steps and has fully liberalized the telecommunications sector." He said.

Under the new licencing regime, it is now possible for one to invest in the entire range of public telecommunications service provision and infrastructure provision.

The subscriber base had risen from a mere 50 000 land lines and 3 000 mobile phones at the beginning of the initial liberalization and exclusivity period to 3.7 million by June this year with over 1.5 million new subscribers in the period 2006/2007 alone.

"Given the population of about 28 million, we expect that with full liberalization the growth potential is immense due to increased competition leading to a wider variety of services and lower costs addressing the Universal Access goals," he said.

He said the government policy of development of the ICT sector is aimed at sustainable development of the sector. It provides for the creation of reliable communications infrastructure, favourable legal environment, comprehensive development of human resources and enhancing the quality, access and scope of communication services.
Others include increasing the opportunity for information and education of citizens, students, supporting of public and private sector partnerships and investments by the private sector.

"The web-portal would enable the business community in the EAC to obtain information on technical barriers to trade that will facilitate overcoming interstate trade related disputes".

"However it is one thing to put in place an ICT tool and another putting it into use. I urge the business community, policy makers, consumers and regulatory agencies to regularly visit the web portal so that they can update themselves on SQMT activities within the EAC," he advised.

Highway Africa News Agency