President Mwanawasa is tomorrow expected to launch a national policy on information communication and technology (ICT).
Ministry of Communications and Transport Permanent Secretary, Peter Tembo, announced this yesterday at a media breakfast meeting at Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka.
“In order to create awareness on the importance of ICTs in national development, the launch will be preceded by an ICT exhibition by local and international exhibitors,” Brigadier-General Tembo said.
The launch would be held at Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC).
Brig-Gen Tembo explained that Government involved stakeholders during the development of the policy.
“With support from partners such as Japan, United Nations Development Plan (UNDP), local and international experts, Government embarked on the process of developing the policy.
This also included consultations with other Government agencies and industries,†he said.
Brig-Gen Tembo said this was followed by extensive meetings at national and provincial levels.
The permanent secretary added that the process was augmented by consultations with regional and international organisations and experts.
Meanwhile, Barclays Bank Zambia has said that information and communication technology plays a key role in the fight against poverty.
Barclays Bank head of corporate affairs, Augustine Seyuba, said this yesterday in Lusaka when his institution donated 26 computers to four schools.
The schools are SOS Children’s Village, Kabulonga Boys High School, Rhodespark High School and Lusaka High School.
“With that in mind, the bank has embarked on a programme to support local school initiatives aimed at providing additional facilities for developing skills of young people in science and technology,” he said.
Mr Seyuba said although ICT was a relatively recent innovation, the tool would continue to grow in importance in the future.
He said there was need to empower the education system in the country with ICT tools.
And speaking for the beneficiaries, SOS Children’s Village chairperson, Jitesh Naik, commended Barclays Bank for the gesture.
He said computers would enhance the quality of education.
I just wished this would signal a new era in ICT implementation in Zambia. At the same time i feel this is too much to wish for.
As an example, the virtually unfunctional websites of critical institutions like Tourist board, govt ministries, learning institutions (including UNZA which owns Zamnet), hotels, embassies, etc., makes one wonder where we hearded.
If people cant access important info from their computers, millions of tv advertising money is just useless.
Sad to note that it has taken government this long to launch the ICT policy. It is known world over that information is power. An informed citizen is able to make meaningful decisions for his survival, governance and welbeing. Our government has never appreciated the value of information thus the negative attitiude towards enactment of the freedom of information bill and lack of adoption and apprecation of any forms of information/communication disciplines that are currently being offered in our universities and colleges.
I was trying to get through that ICP policy “speech” by the veep but I got “nothing” and thus assumed that it was just not the whole thing. So before i say anything, does anyone have it in details? I know internet and other IT facilities are tooo expensive in Zambia and the like and that the people of Zambia are not that much informed and access therein …I just want to hear what it was forced on, not just a formality.