g) Empower and facilitate Tanzania’s participation in the Global Knowledge Society. 3.1.3 Policy Challenges i. Finding appropriate mechanisms for policy coordination. ii. Creating awareness among leaders and the public, and political championing of ICT. iii. Promoting ICT to further productivity among the sectors that are key drivers of the national economy. iv. Prioritising of development assistance in ICT. v. Developing ICT sector parameters and indicators. vi. Participation in global governance of ICT and the Internet. vii. Creation of an environment conducive for effective ICT deployment. viii. Addressing rural/urban imbalances. ix. Promotion of regional integration and international cooperation. x. Promotion of more effective and increasingly broad-based national participation in international fora on Internet policy making and governance. 3.1.4 Policy Statements 1. Since ICT is a powerful development facilitator, the Government will embrace ICT as an integral part of its development strategy and empower all citizens to use it to fight poverty, ignorance and disease so as to improve the quality of their lives. 2. The Government shall create the necessary enabling environment to facilitate the deployment, utilisation and exploitation of ICT in all sectors of life. 3. The Government shall annually allocate funds equivalent to a reasonable proportion of GDP for ICT deployment, diffusion and universal access. 4. The Government shall promote the creation of bilateral relations and cooperation with regional and international organisations that generate, process, store and disseminate ICT driven information in order to expand and strengthen local ICT capacity. 5. The Government will promote the development and/or acquisition of flexible standard information processing methods and facilities and oversee their utilisation by all users of ICT in the national network in order to effect or ensure compatibility. 6. The Government will encourage public, private and community sector partnerships to jointly invest in ICT development. 3.2 ICT Infrastructure 3.2.1 Issues Numerous forms of technological convergence are occurring. ICT infrastructure is also evolving, embracing the availability of equipment, supplies and services of computers, telecommunications, multimedia information providers, broadcasting (radio and Page 10