The opportunities and challenges of using ICT by State Owned Enterprises in Bangladesh: Case of SOEs under Privatization Commission

The potential contribution of information and communication technology (ICT) to increase the productivity of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in developing countries has long been recognized. However, the realization of this potential has been problematic and over recent years there have been a number of initiatives supported by government, non government and foreign agencies which have endeavored to aid and encourage the up take of ICT to enable access to such promised benefits. Despite strong theoretical arguments suggesting that ICT has much to offer to SOEs, the study would seem to suggest that use of ICT by SOEs listed under Privatization Commission is still in its infancy. It also identifies some significant barriers which are impacting upon the level of ICT adoption amongst SOEs, and confidence on ICT of the SOEs in Bangladesh. This paper is based on the study conducted as part of the IDA funded Enterprise Growth and Bank Modernization Project and explores the opportunities and barriers of using ICT to provide a necessary lever to enhance competitiveness and productivity of SOEs in Bangladesh.