MTC is steadfast and ready to help drive a smart economy and usher the country into digitalisation parallel to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
A smart economy is based on technological innovation, resource efficiency, sustainability and high social welfare with the overall goal of improving the quality of life of citizens.
MTC’s readiness was confirmed by its managing director Licky Erastus, who this week made the remark at the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair.
In convergence with the country’s recent 4IR report, Erastus highlighted for Namibia to achieve a smart economy, rapid leveraging of technological innovation is required as the country recovers from the blows of Covid-19.
“As a nation, if we are to be competitive and be a fit global economic player, we need to hybridise, take advantage of big data analytics, artificial intelligence and e-commerce to recapture Covid-lost grounds and develop domestic digital industrial policies that will prepare us for future technologies,” said Erastus.
In his remarks, Erastus also highlighted the significance of smart collaboration, emphasising that meaningful success can merely be achieved if we hold hands and pull in the same direction as a nation.
“The probability of success is more likely if we pull resources and expertise together in the same direction on socio-economic projects. On this score, MTC has partnered with institutions such as the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia, the Namibia University of Science and Technology, the World Food Programme and the United Nations Development Fund to collaborate on socio-economic matters and impact-driven solutions for Namibia.”
He added: “Such partnerships are not our mandate or core responsibility as a business, but we know that such a mammoth task cannot be left solely to the government. To think that way would be a destructive view based on the illusion of separatism. We are part of a greater 081-nation; hence, the importance of collaboration for a sustained systemic change”.
The OATF was commended for embracing technological innovation with a hybrid (physical and digital exhibition) trade fair experience.
Commendably, Erastus highlighted that with digitalisation, the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair presents a great business platform that attracts more participation and a hive of entrepreneurial activities – from macro, small, medium and especially youth-led enterprises.
He opined the trade fair’s constant contribution in aiding the pursuit of business growth and development on a national, regional and continental level is exemplary and worthy of MTC’s support.
Sim-card registration
Meanwhile, MTC also confirmed its voluntary sim-card registration campaign is open and will run until 1st January 2023.
Stating the benefits of having a registered sim card, MTC Chief Human Capital, Corporate and Marketing Officer Tim Ekandjo said, “A registered card comes with security benefits – it helps prevent identity theft; forms the basis for systems that combat phone-based fraud, and it aids in combating cybercrime. Moreover, this is particularly essential, given the high rate of this form of crime committed. It also generally comes with convenience value of accessing electronic services, especially now that more companies are upgrading their service offerings to digital platforms”.
The launch of the national SIM card registration awareness by the regulator (CRAN) on 6 June 2022 resulted in MTC commencing with a pro-active voluntary SIM registration campaign for its over 2 million customers as supplementary to the regulator’s efforts.
“At this stage, it is a pro-active exercise we initiated to offer sufficient time and convenience for our subscribers to register early before the mandatory registration kicks off in January 2023 as envisioned by the regulator Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia”.