Government ready for digital transformation

News
Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Courier Services minister Kazembe Kazembe says going digital is no longer a matter of choice, but a key driver of economic development.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA recently in gutu

Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Courier Services minister Kazembe Kazembe says going digital is no longer a matter of choice, but a key driver of economic development.

“Going digital is, therefore, no longer a simple matter of choice or a demonstration of opulence. Rather it is the new bedrock of our economy and a driver of the needed growth,” Kazembe told Gutu residents last week.

The minister, who was speaking at the belated ICT and Information Society Day celebrations, said embracing e-government was key for development

“While others may have priorities in self-driving cars, our priority could be elsewhere — e-agriculture, e-health, e-education and e-government. Let’s participate and ensure that our aspirations and needs in these key socio-economic areas are addressed,” he said.

“This theme may be at face value, seems far removed from the realities obtaining in Zimbabwe and the rest of the developing world.

“However, a closer look into the digital landscape for the developing world reveals that participation in the development of telecommunication standards is key for inclusion, equitable access and the development of relevant, people-centric information and communication technologies, services and applications.

The ICT minister urged citizens to position themselves for the fourth industrial revolution.

“My take is that our regulator, operators, academia, industry, ourselves as policymakers and the general citizenry, young and old, should actively ensure that Zimbabwe has a voice in the standards making process and that voice is loud, coherent and pregnant with meaning,“ he said.

“When it comes to the development of relevant standards and applications, our input has never been more relevant. It is up to us to ensure that IMT 2020 is relevant to us as a people.

“It is up to us to ensure that the current wave of industrial revolution does not leave us behind. It is up to us to ensure that the digital divide is bridged and the future is smart —smart agriculture, smart health, smart cities and smart communities.”