OMUTHIYA – The modern world now evolves around the use of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure as a means of trading, entertainment, and learning, among others.
However, this remains a challenge in many countries across the world, such as Namibia, that still find it difficult to communicate with other parts of the world partly due to limited ICT infrastructure, equipment, policies, and financial resources.
As the National ICT Summit, which is anticipated to attract hundreds of ICT experts and institutions, draws closer it is worthwhile to look at the strides the Namibian government has made in bridging the digital divide and how that is being implemented.
The Summit will be held under the theme “Accelerating Digital Transformation” and starts this coming Monday.
The Summit creates a platform for the ICT industry to discuss trends and challenges facing the industry globally and in the country. ICT industry players use this platform to showcase their ICT solutions and services. In addition, the Summit also exposes the youth to the latest ICT trends and affords them the opportunity to also present their latest innovations and inventions.
The Executive Director in the Ministry of ICT, Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana, detailed how the ministry, through the government working with various partners, is trying to harness the technological gap that is mainly experienced in the country’s remote areas.
Ua-Ndjarakana said over the past three years, the Ministry of ICT managed to create an enabling legislative environment and undertook projects aimed at developing ICT infrastructure and services such as the implementation of the Digital Terrestrial Television coverage, and drafting and adoption of the Universal Access and Service Policy.
“The ministry also developed the Broadband Policy and its Strategic Implementation Plan; developing the Electronic Transaction and Cybercrime Bill; as well as initiating the review of the National Information Policy; and the drafting the Access to Information Bill development process,” said the executive director as he highlighted some of the interventions government has developed.
Among notable achievements made so far, he noted the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration’s e-birth, and e-passports; Ministry of Finance’s recent Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS), as well as the Ministry of Justice’s e-justice system.