Press Release: Pasha Call for Applications Today, Kenya ICT Board and Family Bank have launched a Ksh 320 million loan facility to support the establishment of Pasha Centres across the country. This facility will finance Kenyan entrepreneurs willing to set up thePasha Centres. Pasha Centres are internet access centres that will offer a rich bouquet of services to the public. Pasha Centers are modeled under three categories: Basic, Standard, and Advanced. Each category is defined by the number of computers and services to be offered and the scale of the Pasha Centre proposed by each applicant, but should include a blend of the following: Internet access, computer training, vocational training, ICT retail, access to government services, entertainment and gaming, typing and data entry, printing services, copying and scanning, CD/DVD burning, faxing, IP telephony, cell phones and SIM card sales, mobile-based financial services, IT support and services, office supplies and stationary sales, printer supplies, laminating and photography and other IT enabled services. The centres, most of which will be in the rural areas will help deliver the government’s objective of ensuring that Kenyans everywhere have access to the internet , use it to access Government E-Services and improve their lives. To apply for this loan, the Kenya ICT Board is inviting entrepreneurial Kenyans from around the country to submit business plan proposals that demonstrate how to build and run a successful Pasha Center. The best proposals will be offered a low cost loan from Family Bank allowing the entrepreneurs to realize their dream of owning a Pasha Center. Applicants will be required to submit a compelling business plan as part of their loan application. Together with our financial partners, Family Bank , Kenya ICT Board will award loans to entrepreneurs that will see one Pasha Centre set up in each constituency countrywide within a year. Important Dates Call for Application: January 25, 2011 Deadline for Application: 25th February 2011 Budgets Pasha Digital Villages Revolving Fund: USD 4 M Training BudgetUSD 2M Technical Support:USD 2 M Bandwidth SupportUSD 2M Number of Pasha Centres to be set up: There will be one Pasha centre in each constituency – making 210 Centres in total to be set up within the next year. Project Objectives The project has three objectives: 1.Provide affordable access and use of ICT resources to rural communities in a sustainable way 2.Increase public accessibility to Government services by making these easily accessible through the Pasha Portal. (E.g. KRA, Registration of Persons, Utility payments, Company registration services, Police Abstracts, public service Commission among others) 3.Create economic opportunities that will spur rural economic development Background: What is a Pasha Center? Pasha centers provide a suite of services to the public via computers connected to the internet.. Role of Pasha Centers To provide Kenyans in rural areas with access to information; the increased access to information will serve to: •Enhance business skills and knowledge in rural areas as well as expose rural communities to world news and trends that maypositively enhance their lives •Provide employment for Kenyans both directly through economic activity that the centre will generate and secondarily through the opportunities that the information will provide •Bring online services closer to rural communities Technical Support The Kenya ICT Board will hire a consulting firm to provide online and on-call support to Pasha Centers. The support will include troubleshooting, repair and maintenance of equipment, support with software installation, support for LAN and WAN installation, among other services. Monitoring and Evaluation The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for the Pasha Centres is intended to assess success of the digital village (DV) project. M&E segment will look at the business success of the pasha entrepreneurs. The M&E will also assess impact and sustainability of the centres, including the pasha centre’s contribution to increased access to information and services to the public at the grass root level. Estimated cost of the models Type of PASHA Apprx number of computers with Internet Access Estimated Maximum Set Up Costs (KES) PASHA Basic 5 computers KES 820,000 PASHA Standard 10- 18 computers KES 2,553,000 PASHA Advance 20- 30 computers KES 3,342,000 About the Pasha Loan The Pasha Loan is made possible through a revolving fund set up by the Kenya ICT Board (through World bank funding) and administered by Family Bank. The funds allocated to each entrepreneur will be repayable over a three year period with an interest rate of 11.5% p.a on the reducing balance. Entrepreneurs can use the funds to finance set-up costs and or upgrading of an existing facility. The revolving fund will be administered as follows: Steps 01: A call for application shall be made by Kenya ICT Board for prospective entrepreneurs to submit Pasha Loan applications Step 2: Prospective entrepreneurs submit complete applications to the nearest Family Bank branch Step 3: Submitted applications are vetted by Family Bank and Kenya ICT Board’s Grants Committee Step 4: Successful entrepreneurs are informed and invited to sign a loan agreement and Kenya ICT Board service level agreement Step 5: Successful entrepreneurs begin loan repayment after a grace period of three months For more information: Visit www.pasha.co.ke Email: pasha@ict.go.ke Call: 020 – 2089061 Or www.familybank.co.ke Email: info@familybank.co.ke Call: 020- 318 173 www.ict.go.kePage of 1 The Kenya ICT Board is a State Corporation under the State Corporations Act 446 -- ** <http://ngunjirijnr.wordpress.com> | Readiness | Availability | Uptake | Impact |