The coordinator of Government Modernisation Office (e-Gov), Omponye Kereteletswe has said some significant inroads are being made to fully exploit ICT in financial services, health, tourism, social and government services.
Speaking at the 14th World Telecommunications ICT indicators Symposium this week, Kereteletswe said Botswana has made strides in ICT usage in her development agenda largely due to massive investment in infrastructure, information systems and human capacity.
E-government is the use of electronic communications devices, computers and the Internet to provide public services to citizens.
“It has become visibly clear that successful economies are leveraging ICTs in all sectors for development as well as helping accelerate the attainment of the 17 sustainable development goals and their targets,” he said.
However, he said the major challenge has been to measure the impact of ICT contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) as a sector pinning his hopes on the symposium as he expects that it will provide a platform to define proper indicators for monitoring the ICT impact to the country’s GDP and the sustainable development goals.
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) CEO, Thari Pheko said Botswana has made a steady process in terms of its communications sector development particularly mobile penetration that has surpassed the 170% mark, which is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
“While this achievement is worth noting, we are accurately aware that we remain way down the world ranking in order of those countries that are role models in ICT development. However, we continue to welcome opportunities such as this one that will allow us to exchange notes and benefit from the success stories of others,” he said.
Thari said the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Measuring Information Society Global ICT Development Index is helpful in providing them with a yardstick for measuring where the country stand relative to the world. He said the index has inspired them as a regulatory authority to aim high in order to stake claim in global ICT village.
“During the midterm review of the strategy this year, we were motivated to move the target higher to seven for access and five for usage,” he said.
He also noted that in September last year they began the implementation of a new and converged ICT licensing framework designed to create a more conducive environment for ICT development. The framework is intended to meet demand for real time high quality affordable services, accommodate emerging players for increased market competition and enhance value proposition for consumers.
The objective of the three day symposium is to debate new and emerging issues on ICT data and statistics and their role in policy making, to provide strategic guidance to the international community on information society trends and future monitoring.
The adopted outcomes of the symposium is intended to provide strategic guidance to the national and international community including ITU, on the future priorities of work related to monitoring the information society based on internationally agreed and methodologies.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Pauline Dikuelo
Quelle/Source: Mmegi Online, 23.12.2016
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