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| Thursday, 3 July 2003 |
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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a technical assistance (TA) grant of US$800,000 to pilot test two community information networks that will bring vital information to the poor and disabled in two districts of Sri Lanka, the ADB said yesterday. The grant, from ADB's Poverty Reduction Cooperation Fund, will establish the networks to link district offices, schools, training institutes, job placement centres, hospitals, markets, private companies, and villagers in Gampaha and Ratnapura districts. Users will be able to access important information through the Internet and fax machines to help them, for instance, monitor crop prices, order goods and services, consult doctors, enrol in distance learning classes, and pay taxes. They will also be able to swap and access information on job opportunities, health and medical information, weather and disaster warning, and public announcements. "The TA will be a testing ground for electronic learning, commerce, medicine, and government services," says Jeoung-Keun Lee, an ADB Principal Education Specialist. "It will show how the community can empower their poor and disabled, which is especially important in a country where there is a weak social safety net." About 2,000 poor and disabled people in the two districts will directly benefit, with 18,000 others also participating. The unaffordability of computers and high Internet access fees help explain why Internet use was less than 1% in 2001. Beside the high cost, cultural barriers, low incomes, and lack of facilities mean that few poor and disabled in Sri Lanka are benefiting from IT. The Gampaha community network will be based at a school, linking mainly public entities, such as the district office, public rural centres, government training centres, public health centres, and state-owned enterprises. The Ratnapura network will be based at a community center, linking mainly private concerns, such as private clinics, schools, training centres, commercial banks, and companies. The TA may be extended to conflict areas to promote social integration and nation building. Eventually, operation of the network will be handed over to the community or private sector. The total cost of the TA is estimated to be $1.1 million equivalent, of which Government will contribute $200,000 equivalent. The Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion will co-finance $100,000 on a parallel basis. |
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