The World Bank has approved US$100 million to Tanzania as part of an International Development Association (IDA) credit to extend access to affordable communications services in the region.

Among the third phase of the Regional Communications Infrastructure Program, a US$424 million regional program that will increase the availability of reliable communication services for citizens, businesses and governments in Eastern and Southern Africa, and Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique would receive US$100 million, US$20 million and US$31 million respectively, the local daily the Guardian on Monday quoted a World Bank statement issued on Sunday in Dar es Salaam as saying.

The program is helping the region to leverage the exciting developments in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector and overcome the challenges through a combination of sound policy and regulatory frameworks, competitive market structures, and catalytic investments into public-private partnerships to accelerate roll-out of infrastructure networks, the statement said.

As the program is completed, affordable Internet and voice communication services will be more widely available, and new opportunities for employment, regional trade, social participation, and government efficiency will be created, it further added.

In Tanzania, it would strengthen the policy and regulatory environment and promote sector reform in order to maximize the benefits of access to international bandwidth, according to the statement.

Rick Scobey, World Bank Acting Director for Regional Integration in sub-Saharan Africa, noted that economic development in Eastern and Southern Africa is held back by prohibitive ICT costs and limited communications infrastructure.

Despite considerable developments in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Africa over the last 10 years, the region still has the world's lowest telephone and Internet user penetration and highest costs, according to the World Bank.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2009)