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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:22.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:22.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:22.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:22.0pt'>PRESS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:16.0pt'>KENYA ICT BOARD EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR BANDWIDTH
CAPACITY SUPPORT TO THE BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (B.P.O) INDUSTRY <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style='font-family:"Rockwell","serif";font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></h2>
<h2><span style='font-family:"Rockwell","serif";font-weight:normal'>Nairobi, 13<sup>th</sup>
January 2010<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%'>The Kenya ICT Board, the state corporation charged with developing and
promoting the Business Process Outsourcing Sector ( BPO) has further extended
the deadline for bandwidth capacity support to the BPO Industry.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%'> The board through the <b>Government of Kenya </b>has received credit
from the International Development Association (IDA) to fund this initiative
aimed at assisting industry players meet the cost of internet connectivity.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%'>The first phase of capacity support ran from 1<sup>st</sup> July 2007 to
Feb 2009. During this time, USD 508,937.29 (circa Ksh 40m) out of a budgeted
amount of USD7M was disbursed. It is predicted that the extension of this
support will significantly increase the uptake of the subsidy by industry
players and give the industry the necessary boost to grow and be able to compete
on a global scale.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%'>This subsidy, funded by the World Bank will now be extended from March
1, 2009 to 31st March 2010. This is the final extension in response to the
board’s request on behalf of the industry with an aim to mitigate the
high prices of internet access in the country which is reducing albeit slowly
following the landing of the Teams and Seacom fibre optic cables.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%'> The capacity support will be disbursed effective immediately and will
close on March 31<sup>st</sup> 2010.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%'>Eligibility for
the bandwidth capacity support is open to all BPO operators in Kenya who
currently offer outsourcing services. The Kenya ICT Board will audit the
companies and oversee the disbursement of the funds to the BPO operators upon
receipt of applications from operators.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%'>Mr. Paul Kukubo,
CEO Kenya ICT Board says, “Increasing Kenya’s competitiveness in
the global BPO sphere is vital for the growth of the industry. With the fibre
Optic cables now in place, Kenya has become a significant competitor in the global
BPO space. We expect the cost of internet connectivity to drop significantly.
But this will take some time. This extension of bandwidth capacity support
will help the industry reduce operating costs and thus increase global
competitiveness in the short term.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%'><span
style='line-height:150%'>The criteria and procedure for bandwidth capacity
disbursement remains:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%'><span
style='line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify'>Step 1: BPO
companies to register with Kenya ICT Board as a BPO operator by completing a
registration form available at Kenya ICT Board Offices and on our website (<a
href="http://www.ict.go.ke">www.ict.go.ke</a>)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify'>Step 2: Sign
a “<b>BPO Capacity Purchase Scheme MOU Agreement"</b> with the Kenya
ICT Board. The MOU documents are available at Kenya ICT Board Offices –
12<sup>th</sup> Floor Telposta Towers, Koinange Lane.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify'>Step 3:
Audit and verification of the required submissions will be carried out. Upon
completion, the capacity support will be provided.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify'>Step 4: Post
award, monitoring and Evaluation will be carried out consecutively and
concurrently by a Kenya ICT Board at regular intervals <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%'><span
style='line-height:150%'>-</span><span style='line-height:150%'>ENDS –<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b>Enquiries<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'>Lucy Odhiambo Email: <span
style='color:#548DD4'><a href="mailto:lodhiambo@ict.co.ke"><span
style='color:#548DD4'>lodhiambo@ict.co.ke</span></a></span> 0737 839047 or <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'>Haji Tomno Email: <a
href="mailto:htomno@ict.go.ke">htomno@ict.go.ke</a> Tel: +254 020
2089061/2211960<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b>About Kenya ICT Board:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>The
Kenya ICT Board was established by HE President Mwai Kibaki, as a state
corporation under the State Corporations Act Cap. 446 on 19th February 2007. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>The
achievement of an information-based society is one of the main priorities of
the Government towards the realization of national development goals and
objectives for wealth and employment creation. ICT is one of the fastest
growing sectors in the country. Harnessing of ICT will therefore help the
Government to realize a number of its key public policy objectives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The objectives of the Kenya ICT Board include: To develop,
launch and sustain a globally compelling brand marketing campaign for Kenya ICT,
To develop and promote competitive ICT industries in Kenya, To develop world
class Kenyan ICT institutions and To increase ICT access.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><a href="http://www.ict.go.ke/"><span
style='color:windowtext'>www.ict.go.ke</span></a> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'>Lucy Gachui
Odhiambo <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'>Communications
Manager <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'>Kenya ICT Board</span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'>12th Floor
Telposta Towers</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'>Koinange Lane</span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'>PO Box 27150 -
00100<br>
Nairobi, Kenya</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'>Cell 0737-
839047</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'>Tel:
254-020-2093040</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'><a
href="http://www.ict.go.ke" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.ict.go.ke</span></a></span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#17365D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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