Accra, Nov. 18, GNA - Government would implement key Information Communication Technology (ICT) projects in 2010 to ensure Ghana's weak industry and subsistence agriculture based economy was turned into information and knowledge based economy.

Dr Kwabena Duffour, Finance and Economic Planning Minister who made this known on Wednesday said initially, a business and performance based framework, 'Enterprise Architecture' to support cross-agency collaboration and transformation of government-wide network and other public sector improvement in pursuit of a vibrant e-government service delivery would be implemented.

Dr Duffuor announced this when presenting 2010 Budget to Parliament in Accra.

He explained that as part of the measures, government would complete the second phase of the National Optic Fibre Communication Backbone, involving the extension of connectivity from Tamale to the rest of the northern parts of the country and the neighbouring countries. Dr Duffuor said government would develop a comprehensive and reliable electronic database to facilitate crime investigations and policing research and implement the e-Government project to provide broadband connectivity to link all district capitals to the national high speed broadband. He said government would use its regulatory role to improve the operating environment to attract more investment in ICT, promote innovative applications, and reduce the cost of services.

The Finance Minister said government recognising the importance of ICT in the auto mechanic business, would establish an Automatic and Technical Institute at the Suame Magazine in Kumasi, to introduce modern automatic engineering into their industrial operations.