Namibia: Deputy minister admits to slow progress on ICT


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Namibia: Deputy minister admits to slow progress on ICT

The new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Deputy Minister, Stanley Simataa, has told Parliament that Namibians have not yet reaped the benefits from modern information technology, but the Namibian government will soon put out clear strategies and targets for this sector.

“Our Ministry will soon use the outcomes of a conducted ICT infrastructure audit to develop a co-ordinated ICT infrastructure rollout strategy with clear targets and timelines,” Simataa said last week during the budget debate.

He said benefits still had to be reaped as the country continue to acknowledge the potential of ICT without making concerted efforts to locate ICT at the centre of our developmental efforts?.

?As Government, we are yet to see the full benefits of migrating to e-governance. Our businesses, particularly the SME sector are yet to maximise on the potential of e-business. While the IT sector had made big strides in expanding access to ICT, the nation was still faced with low Internet penetration in rural areas?, added Simataa.

Even though ICT in education had taken root, there is no coordination of interventions by government and industry efforts in realising integrated ICT education. This has led to duplication of efforts. The net result was a limited impact of ICT.

Simataa said his ministry shall, within the ambit of the existing policy environment, play a leading role in co-ordinating developments in this sector.

Source: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

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