National Computer Board

Location

The National Computer Board (NCB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies and the Ministry of Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare organised a Round Table session on Thursday the 14th May 2009 at 9.00 am at the Swami Vivekananda Conference Centre, Pailles, to finalise the legal measures recommended in the Child Safety Online Action Plan. The round table was launched by the Hon. Asraf Dulull, Minister of Information and Communications Technology.

Preamble:

The National Computer Board (NCB) was set up in 1988 by the National Board Act (Act No.43) to promote the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Mauritius. It is a para-statal body administered by a Board of Directors and operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

The NCB has recently redefined its strategies to respond more effectively to new national aspirations in view of multi-facetted challenges emerging in the wake of globalization and threatening the very resilience of the country's economy. Its core mission is now to accelerate the transition of Mauritius into a regional ICT hub and ensure the swift realization of government's objective to make of the ICT sector a fifth pillar of the economy.

Vision:

To be the key enabler in transforming Mauritius into a Cyber island and the regional ICT hub.

Mission:

To e-power people, businesses and the public sector by developing and promoting ICT and ICT related services in Mauritius.

Core Values:

1. We are committed to quality and excellence
2. We believe in teamwork and partnership
3. We are determined to provide professional services to our stakeholders, customers and partners
4. We aim at continuous improvement
5. We invest in our people

Charter Objectives:

This Charter gives an overview of the services and activities of the different divisions of the NCB.

Organisation Chart:

The organization structure comprises seven divisions:

1. Planning Research and Development
2. Business Development and Promotion
3. ICT Culture Promotion
4. ICT Incubator Centre
5. Government Online Centre
6. Administration and Finance
7. Communication

The Planning Research and Development division was set up to study the use of ICT in Mauritius, make policy and legal recommendations, analyse the trend in ICT technologies, promote the use of state-of-the-art technologies and carry out R&D in ICT.

The Business Development and Promotion Division was put in place to develop an integrated approach for the promotion of Mauritius as a cyber island at regional and international levels in coordination with other public and private organizations of the ICT sector. It has also to assess the competitiveness of the Mauritian ICT industry and make relevant recommendations.

The ICT Incubator Centre was set up to promote entrepreneurship development and boost job creation through the provision of logistical and business support to start ups in the ICT sector.

The ICT Culture Promotion Division aims at bridging the digital divide in Mauritius and developing an ICT literate nation.

The Government Online Centre (GOC) is a centralized data centre which supports e-Government initiatives. Equipped with state-of-the-art ICT Infrastructure, the GOC hosts the Government Web Portal which is one-stop-shop providing comprehensive information on Government Services and enabling online applications on a 24x7 basis.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day:

The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is celebrated on the 17th May, every year with the main objective of raising awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.

Theme of the Event:

The theme for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day for this year is “Protecting Children in Cyberspace”. The main objective of this theme is to ensure that children can safely access the Internet and its valuable resources without fear of falling prey to unscrupulous predators in cyberspace.