THE Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) has acquired land at the Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) in Lusaka South for the construction of a computer assembly plant.
ZICTA public relations manager Ngabo Nankonde told the Daily Nation yesterday that the authority was on course in ensuring that the assembly plant was completed by 2017 as scheduled for the authority to begin assembling computers locally.
Ms. Nankonde said the authority had already contracted consultants which were working on the design for the US$6 million mega structure to ensure building started in the shortest possible time.
She also said that a team from within the institution had been constituted to oversee the preparations and construction of the facility to ensure that the project was completed within the specified time-frame.
“Land has been acquired at the Multi-Facility Economic Zone in Lusaka and ZICTA has put in place a dedicated team to ensure it operationalizes the computer assembly plant as scheduled.
“Furthermore, ZICTA has contracted consultants to ensure that designs for the plant are completed in the shortest possible time to allow for the commencement of plant construction,” Ms. Nankonde said.
She noted that the completion and operationalization of the computer assembly plant in Zambia would go a long way in alleviating the challenges that faced the Ministry of General Education in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as schools will be able to access the computers locally, thereby reducing the shortages being experienced.
She said the project would ease access to computers among pupils and will address the challenges faced during ICT examinations.
“The computer assembly plant will supply computers that will cater for most of the examination centres under the Ministry of General Education, thus drastically reducing the deficit.
“More pupils will have access to the computers and thus will be able to sit for ICT skills exams. ZICTA will keep the public posted on any new developments regarding this project,” she said.
The construction of a computer assembly plant through ZICTA was initiated by Government in 2011 with focus on promoting e-commerce and use of ICT in trade promotion, establishing e-Government services and promoting e-education, e-health and e-agriculture, which would also promote universal access to ICT services and products to the people to boost job creation and increase productivity in the economy.
This is nice. Awesome news. Start working on a vehicle assembly plant.
very good and progressive news.
do not fail us please cos we are sick and tired of buying these lap tops of sub standard makes, with very funny names at exorbitant prices.
right step in the right direction.
just hope our govt ensures that your idea materializes…
Progressive indeed!
But operational date too far…..2017? Chinese could have been takes to design, build, install machines and handover within 9months coz of working at night.
Zambian attitude will take months just to do the designs and have them approved by the Planning Authority. What’s urgent is not the USD6m but the access TP ICT by our schools.
Personally I wouldn’t care who gets that money provided they deliver the project soon!
Well i don’t think as a regulator ZICTA should start doing business. it is a misplaced initiative.
Does the US Federal Communication Commission FCC also assemble PCs and Give Street Names? In my opinion ZICTA mandate is a misfit. It explains why our councils are non functional. Surely giving names to new roads is councils business. Assembling PCs should be left to Zambian citizens so that they participate in the local economy. All this just perpetuates our backwardness.
Will taxpayers money be fully accounted for? I am aware zicta is awash with billions and not know what to do with the money.
WhY not build a cuttomised assembly plant and lease it to a private company under terms and conditions that would make it viable? That way zicta would continue concentrating on its mandate? Anyway there comes another white parastatal elephant. How is Zamtel doing after kicking out Lap green and quietly compensating them with huge amounts? Call it sweeping dirty under the carpet.
THERE’S ONE THING WHICH ZICTA HASN’T MENTIONED- FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK. WHEN DO WE EXPECT THE ASSEMBLING TO GRADUATE INTO DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF COMPUTERS AS OPPOSED TO JUST PERPETUAL ASSEMBLING? I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND ASK ZICTA TO INFORM US HOW FAR THEY HAVE GONE WITH THE POST-CODING/ZIP-CODING OF THE COUNTRY. HOW MANY TOWNS HAVE YOU SO FAR DEMARCATED AND GIVEN POST/ZIP CODES. I AM ASKING BECAUSE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY BY WAY OF TRIGGERING INNOVATION AND MORE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT DEPEND ON POSTAL CODES. PLEASE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF THE REPORT CAN BE PUBLISHED ON THE SAME MEDIA.
Govt still meddling in business…instead of implementing policy to stimulate growth in this sector..we never learn!!
If govt wants to do this they should create a new company for this purpose. This will compromise Zicta’s role as regulator.
Just like the idea of RDA starting a cement plant or PaveZambia 2000. These projects were given to a wrong entity. The reason why they have failed. The PZ2000 equipment is now rotting at RDA regional offices.
# Spark Jarrow, I can’t agree with you more. Uganda is developing an electric bus. Soon we will be ordering buses from Uganda, yet we have copper her.
A Ghanaian firm have just built a solar powered bus!!
Government assembling computers? This is what happens when people have about running a business.
Government assembling computers? This is what happens when people have no clue about running a business and how regulation works.