STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY JAKAYA KIKWETE AT THE MICROSOFT GOVENMENT LEADERS' FORUM-AFRICA

Here is the portion of Kikwete's speech at Microsoft Goverment Leaders' Forum in South Africa.
I quote,
"Your Excellencies
Heads of State and Government;
His Excellency Bill Clinton,
Mr. Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft Corporation;
Distinguished Participants;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
.............
Excellencies and Distinguished Participants, Before I conclude, allow me at this point to reiterate and underscore the centrality of ICT development in Africa. It’s the way for us to take. I also reiterate the need for support to ICT development in Africa. Africa needs to be assisted to be part of the global system by overcoming the constraints relating to infrastructure, skills, PCs availability and development of local entrepreneurship. While these areas are important, African Governments also need to ensure that they develop conducive environments for ICT investments to grow harmoniously. In this context, partnerships between private sectors and Governments will ultimately determine the success of our endeavours in this age of Globalisation.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Microsoft for demonstrating how the peering between ICT entrepreneurs of developed and developing countries can be fostered in order to bridge the digital divide. And finally, may I take this opportunity to once again thank Chairman Bill Gates for bringing together in this venue a valuable network of African Government Leaders and other important players and great personalities of world reknown like His Excellency Bill Clinton, former President of the United States, to share ideas with one another on this dynamic field. We look forward to useful exchanges.
Thank you for your attention."

For more information on Kikwete's speech, visit http://www.tanzaniagateway.org/docs/PresidentKikweteStatement_MicrosoftGLFAfrica.pdf#search=