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The establishment of District Business Information Centers (DBICs), is closely linked with e-government initiatives, shall be the first of its kind as a government response to the challenge of enhancing productivity and fighting marginalization of the rural Uganda in a sustainable manner.

The DBICs services shall also contribute towards achievement of the United Nation Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by bringing ICTs to the rural
communities thus enabling individuals as well as SMEs in the surrounding areas to exploit the significant potentials of ICTs towards the creation of employment and thus contributing to Poverty reduction as envisaged in the Poverty Eradication Action Plan.

The DBICs project aims at promoting, among others, affordable and timely access to ICTs in rural Uganda. This will enhance, by electronic means, the exchange of information and experience among government officials and their communities.

Services such as Internet and other ICT services i.e computers, telephones, fax, and other relevant business information, ICT training and in the long run they are expected to provide some e-Government services.

The objectives of the project are to:

1. Establish a sustainable one-stop information centre;
2. Narrow the digital divide;
3. Revitalize the old pilot telecenters based on DBIC model;
4. Facilitate access to information locally, nationally and internationally;
5. Provide supply driven and demand driven information services;
6. Provide better quality of government services;
7. Facilitate local government management information services which will be a strong foundation to support economic growth in local areas;
8. Enhance SMEs Competitiveness globally;
9. Develop ICT and entrepreneur skills, and;
10. Create direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Key Outputs

The key outputs of the project are to:

1. Establishment of DBICs in 30 Districts
2. Integration of District Web-Portal with District Business Information Centre;
3. Strengthening ICT infrastructure and networking with local governments and the Ministry of ICT
4. Establishment and Promotion of Municipal ICT Forum
5. Proliferation of ICTs usage at District Level
6. Creation of linkages to the community information Systems being set up at sub county level

Key Outcomes

The key outcomes of the project are:

1. Socio-economic development promoted;
2. Poverty reduction programme enhanced.

Status of the Project

1. DBICs have been established in six (6)Districts; Lira, Iganga, Rukungiri, Mityana, Kamwenge and Busia.
2. NITA-U has planned for the rollout of DBICS in three (3) new Districts this financial year (FY 2010/2011).