ICT Development Agency
Information and Communication Technologies Development Agency has officially started its activities on February 15th, 2002. The Agency is subordinated to the Minister of Transport and Communications and will carry out functions related to administration, collection and spending of funds to support the development of telecommunications, posts’ infra–structure, and information and communication technologies (ICT). It is managed by a director, appointed by the Minister of Transport and Communications and approved by the Prime Minister.
According to the Telecommunications Act and the Agency’s Regulations — adopted by the Council of Ministers, its operational budget is formed from budgetary funds and from incomes out of its individual business activities, connected to the provision of services and participation in national and international projects. The budgetary funds to cover the expenses related to the Agency’s operation will be collected from licence taxes, including: 25% of the single initial and supplementary licence tax, provided in the licences for telecommunication activity; 45% of the licence tax and the tax for registration of non-universal postal service; 35% of the annual tax for the radio–frequency spectrum, provided in the licences etc.
Among the Agency’s numerous activities we could point out:
- activities referring to support of Information Society development, including promotion, popularisation, information conferences, training, seminars and marketing in view to attract investments in the ICT field in Republic of Bulgaria.
- administrative, financial and technological support of projects and activities with national impact in the ICT field, relating to the admission process of Republic of Bulgaria in the European Union and to the opportunities to obtain funds from EU projects under the “Information Society Technologies” Programme.
- administrative, financial and technological support of projects and activities in the field of ICT in education and professional training;
- encouraging and presentation of the achievements of Bulgarian organisations in the ICT development field, including presentation of innovative Bulgarian ICT products and services at international exhibitions and fairs;
- financial support of the prime postal operator for execution of universal postal service under non–profitable economic conditions, in compliance with the requirements of the Telecommunications Act;
- financing of important projects in the telecommunications field, relating to the government, defence and security of the country.
- liberation of radio–frequency spectrum for civil needs.
The biggest projects of the Agency for 2005 are related to i–Bulgaria Program of MTC:
- Computerization of Bulgarian schools (i–Class project)
- The reestablishment of the Bulgarian National Research Network (i–Net project)
- The creation of Bulgarian Virtual University (i–University project)
- The support of the regional branch of the European Software Institute (ESI@Center project)
- The creation of nationwide chain of public telecenters (i–Center project)
ICT Development Agency, MTC
Bulgaria
Sofia 1000, 6 Gourko Str.
Phone: +359 2 9492151,
Fax: +359 2 9492277
www.ict.bg
