Bawku, June 2, GNA - Government is to establish Community Information Centres (CIC) in all the 230 constituencies to help create awareness on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the rural communities.

It will also bridge the ICT gap between rural and urban centres and expose the people to the relevant information needed to combat poverty. Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of Communications, made this known at the inauguration of two Community Information Centres at Bawku and Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, sponsored by the HIPC fund at the total cost of 712 million cedis.

The CIC's are designed to provide community development information and business services that include computers for Internet connectivity. Mr Dapaah said the latest economic revolution in the world today was in the area of ICT, stressing that Ghana could not afford to lag behind in the information superhighway.

"That is why Government remains committed to its campaign promise to make Ghana a part of the global information society and to upgrade the nation's human resource for accelerated development by bringing the CIC concept into fruition," he said.

The Regional Minister, Mr Boniface Gambila, expressed his commitment to ensure that every educated person in the region was computer literate.

He therefore, appealed to the Communications Minister to provide computer laboratories in all senior secondary schools, and Internet cafes in every district capital.

Mr Gambila observed that computer literacy had become a key requirement on the local and international job markets and urged people in the rural communities to avail themselves of the benefits provided by the CICs in order not to be disadvantaged.

He also called on the people to explore the advantages of distance education to upgrade their knowledge and enhance their chances of securing good jobs.

The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Abdul-Rahman Gumah noted that the centre would enable the Assembly to advertise its potential. He announced plans by the Assembly to provide the centre with a satellite dish to ensure good quality services to the people.