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Public Policy Issues

Afghanistan already has in place two key building blocks for a national ICT policy in the form of the National Telecommunications Policy issued in July 2002, and the Telecommunications Development Strategy issued in October 2002. These documents tackle critical aspects of building communications infrastructure. However, a number of complementary public policy issues related to content and capacity building must be addressed before further progress can be made towards the development of a national ICT policy.

These public policy issues, ranging from competition to culture, and from access to learning, can be summarized in the form of questions that should be discussed and debated by representatives of all levels of Afghan society:

The cost of upgrading and ensuring full interconnection of existing and new networks will be high. The Telecommunications Development Strategy recognizes that Afghanistan’s immediate reconstruction needs cannot be met solely through private sources. Revenues from existing operations are insufficient to restore productive capacity to the sector. The need for capital investment is acute. In the near term, Afghanistan urgently requires assistance from the international donor community to support priority projects that will help ensure the success of the overall development program. Given these constraints, how fast a pace should Afghanistan set for the development of infrastructure? How can public policy or regulatory measures accelerate the process?

Government policy has moved away from supporting monopolies towards greater reliance on market forces. However, this transition must be handled carefully, to ensure that the benefits of competition are in fact realized. How quickly can pro-competitive policies be applied to all aspects of ICT infrastructure and services? What legislative, policy and regulatory changes are required to provide a forward-looking, integrated and market-oriented environment? How can flexibility be built into these frameworks so that they can stay abreast of rapidly changing technologies?

Issue 3: How should copyright and intellectual property issues be addressed?

The potential for piracy of protected works and the consequent economic losses is a concern to creators and producers. The new digital environment raises a host of intellectual property questions. What measures, if any, does Afghanistan have in place to protect to protect Afghan creators’ rights? What should Afghanistan’s position be with respect to various international conventions?

Issue 4: What measures are needed to support Afghan cultural and other content-based products and services?

In developing content and applications for ICT, the role of Afghan culture must not be neglected. Just as ICT has the potential to “bring down borders” between nations, so are there potential negative effects. Larger cultures can dominate smaller ones and define the “global culture” by sheer economic force. What domestic cultural policies are required to ensure a strong Afghan presence on the information infrastructure?

Issue 5: What controls, if any, should be placed on the information that is put on the network?

Offensive content on the network presents complex issues for Afghans and their government. A balance must be struck between ensuring freedom of expression and imposing controls to deter harm, particularly to children. Should there be a gatekeeping function to control what information is available? Is this technically possible? What should be the role of government in this area?

Issue 6: How can ICT be used to improve government services to the public and government operations?

The role of government as a model user of ICT is significant to the successful introduction of ICT to Afghanistan. How can ICT be used to improve public access to information collected by the government in areas of government responsibility such as health, education and agriculture, and to provide other e-government services? How can the government make effective use ICT to streamline its internal operations? How can the government use public procurement of ICT as a tool to stimulate business development and to foster innovation?

Issue 7: How can personal privacy and security of information be protected?

The interconnection of networks increases the flow of personal and business information. Existing data such as financial accounts, educational and medical records can be sent across national borders and sold or integrated with other databases. Because of the potential for abuse, there is a need for privacy protection. What measures does government need to take to protect the privacy and security if information?

Issue 8: How can ICT best be used to improve the growth and competitiveness of Afghan business?

ICT underpins the evolution towards a knowledge-based society. ICT will thus have a profound impact on how Afghan businesses organize and operate. What legislative provisions are required to ensure that commercial arrangements transacted electronically are valid and enforceable? Are legislative amendments required to remove impediments to electronic commerce by business and governments? What other measures are required to encourage electronic commerce?

Issue 9: How can Afghans be assured of universal access to essential services at reasonable cost?

The National Telecommunications Policy and the Telecommunications Development Strategy seeks to ensure that all Afghans, have access to affordable communications – whoever and wherever they may be. What measures will be needed to ensure that all Afghans, including those in remote areas, those who are functionally illiterate, and other groups with special needs such as girls as women, have access to an adequate range of services? Should the government play a role in establishing and/or promoting pilot networks – for example, community or specialized networks?

Issue 10: What consumer awareness and learning opportunities should be provided to enable Afghans to be effective users of ICT?

In the information society, success in school, the workplace, and everyday life will depend on learning new and more efficient ways to rapidly access a variety of information and knowledge based resources. Users will need to understand how to access and how to use ICT effectively if they are to derive the full benefits of these services. How will Afghan consumers and small businesses be encouraged to explore the opportunities that ICT will present? Are public awareness and training programmes needed? Who should be responsible for designing and delivering these programmes? In other words, how can we best develop familiarity and confidence so that all Afghans take advantage of the opportunities for learning, working, creating new jobs, and interacting on new economic, social and cultural levels?