3.6.4 Policy Statements 1. The Government will encourage all productive sectors to incorporate ICT in their development plans. 2. The Government will encourage, promote and support the implementation of nation-wide ICT systems for rural development activities, agricultural, horticultural and livestock extension for farmers, career guidance for youth, technology guidance for rural enterprises, micro-level planning, etc. Communities and user groups or beneficiaries shall be actively encouraged to participate in all such activities. 3. The Government will take steps to move Tanzania’s economy into line with the new global economy while minimising the adverse effects of globalisation on the local economy and tax revenues. 3.7 Service Sectors 3.7.1 Issues It is undeniable that all forms of public utilities and services in Tanzania can be significantly improved and expanded by embracing ICT. On one hand, the management and internal processes towards availing those services may be strengthened by investing in the appropriate use of office systems to support internal information flows, leading to greater accuracy and timeliness of executive decision-making, resource allocation, risk management and operational control. On the other hand, the use of ICT as part of the service delivery channel can lead to qualitative improvements for the direct benefit of clients. In some cases the client may interact directly with an ICT interface, like the increasing number of ATMs at banks that offer end-users services for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. In other cases the client interacts with intermediaries, like at air-travel agencies where travellers interact with an employee who then interfaces with ICT to book seats and sell tickets on international flights, even from towns without any airport. A distinctiveness of the Service Sectors is that they also include the educational and vocational training sector, which is a cornerstone for development in all sectors as well as for progressing toward a knowledge-based environment. While this policy contains a specific focus area on Human Capital (see paragraph 3.4 above), the educational and vocational training sector is nonetheless also contextualised among the services that are to be generically addressed within the present focus area. This intended overlap offers a broader range of implementation options for that particular sector in view of its intense underlying criticality and its crosscutting nature. 3.7.2 Policy Objectives a) Establish an environment conducive for e-commerce transactions and competition. b) Encourage more usage of ICT in financial services (banking, insurance, etc). c) Promote the use of ICT to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and continuity in the provision of services and basic utilities from both private and public sectors especially in billing and payment systems. d) Develop and deploy a nationwide e-Health system that supports medical facilities in the under-served areas. e) Develop and deploy a nationwide e-Tourism system. Page 17