The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) will in 2011, launch a sub-regional broadband 180 km-long fiber optic telecommunicati o ns network, linking Burkina Faso and Niger, according to a statement issued in B a mako, the Malian capital.
Half of the work will be completed by the end of this year, according to a state ment issued after a meeting of ministers in charge of new Information and Commun i cation Technologies (ICT) from UEMOA member countries, which was held in Bamako.
The ministers suggested the tax exemption of computer terminals to facilitate th e acquisition of household equipment and social and academic structures.
They welcomed the rapid implementation of the process which will constitute a ma jor step in building the common market of telecommunications and information and
communication technologies in the UEMOA bloc by 31 December 2010.
The ministers also called for the establishment of a consultative framework, bri nging together national bodies concerned with the task of defining the practical
modalities for its implementation.
They encouraged the sharing of experience between states, particularly in fighti ng against cybercrime.
