Telephone services and information technology to be expanded [Archives:2004/732/Business & Economy]

It is expected that the total telephone capacities in Yemen by the end of the year 2005 to reach 1.6 million telephone lines and 3 million public lines in 2009. By the end of next year it is expected that the number of computer sets would be 118 thousand at a rate of 55% of the total number of the population who are expected to reach around 21.4 million people. In 2009 it is expected that the number of computers would reach 287 thousand at a rate of 1.17 sets for each citizen and to 338 thousand sets in 2010 at a proportion of 1.33 sets for each 100 citizens.
An official report indicates that expansions in the fixed telephones network has reached at more than one million and 200 thousand lines at the end of last year whereas the state establishment of communications is exerting efforts to extend telephone services to the countryside by 120 thousand lines.
Communications and information technology ministry is nowadays implementing the second phase of the presidential project pertaining to spreading the gaining of computers including more than 5 thousand computer sets to be sold to government officials with the system of installment, while the first phase in 2002 has covered the distribution of 4426 sets and that is with the aim of implementing the practical steps towards the electronic government.
The ministry s also implementing a project of the city of technology and communications in Sana'a and the building of similar cities in some governorates to circulate information technology and its software and the care rendered for innovators.
By expanding telephone services the government aims at removing the existing gap between the city and the countryside and enhancement of communication between citizens as well as mitigating the acuteness of poverty. The poor groups outside cities find it difficult to have continued communication with their families in the capital via passenger means of transport because of the high fares of transport.
The Yemeni government also endeavours to publicise the internet service in order to create a qualitative transfer in university education and conveying services to the citizens in all governorates and districts as part of the electronic government project it is working for realizing. Among the goals of this orientation is the keenness on providing information for investors via the internet and to guide them to opportunities of investment in feasible projects especially in the agricultural aspect and building water dams and barriers.
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