The Information and Communication Technology for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) Policy, which represents the Vision for Ghana in the information age, was developed with the objective to engineer an ICT-led socio-economic development process with the potential to transform Ghana into a middle income, information-rich, knowledge-based and technology driven economy and society.
Under this policy, the Ghana Investment Fund for Telecommunications (GIFTEL), was established in 2004, as an agency of the Ministry of Communications to facilitate the provision of Universal Access to basic telephony for the unserved and underserved communities in the country.
The promulgation of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), gave legal backing to the organisation, thereby changing its name to Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), as well as giving it an expanded mandate and scope.
The scope of operations of GIFEC, as enshrined in section 32 of Act 775 mandates the organisation to facilitate the implementation of Universal Access to Electronic Communication and the provision of Internet Points of Presence in underserved and unserved communities, facilitate capacity building programmes and promote ICT inclusion in the unserved and underserved communities, the deployment of ICT equipment to educational, vocational and other training institutions.
