Govt pushes for level playing field

Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT is creating a framework that will ensure inclusive access to the internet and a level playing field to unlock economic opportunities from the wider information communication technologies (ICTs) sector.

Zimbabwe’s internet penetration was around 60 percent as at third quarter of 2020 from 56 percent in the previous quarter with the country intensifying efforts to increase digital connectivity, which is vital in building a vibrant digital economy. The attainment of a digital economy and a knowledge society is critical under the National Development Strategy (NDS1:2021-2025), a key building block towards an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

In remarks to officially open the Zimbabwe Domain Name Systems (DNS) 2021 Forum in Harare yesterday, ICTs, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said the growing internet penetration should contribute to realisation of Vision 2030.

“Our mandate as a ministry is to connect the unconnected and ensure that everyone and everywhere has access to the internet.

Government will work with stakeholders to implement Domain Name System policies to ensure that we have a level playing field for all the stakeholders,” he said.

“I challenge the management committee that will be selected to develop DNS in Zimbabwe to ensure that we promote internet for development and contribute towards Vision 2030.”

Dr Muswere said privacy, surveillance and security remain important for internet users hence, through multi-stakeholder engagement, the Government was finalising steps to implement the Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill. This would ensure that internet use and users are governed by legislation that is moving with times, he added.

The minister said the thrust of the event was aligned to the Government’s commitment towards working with stakeholders in the ICT sector to ensure the full utilisation of technology in the attainment Vision 2030.

“We believe this forum can make a significant impact on advancing the domain name infrastructure and industry, which is critical to the internet and its growth,” he said.

The dot ZW country code top level domain (ccTLD) was created on 6 November 1991. Zimbabwe’s DNS falls under the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) who have delegated management of .zw and .org.zw to TelOne, .ac.zw and .edu.zw to the University of Zimbabwe Computer Centre, .co.zw to ZISPA and .gov.zw to the Government Internet Service Provider (GISP).

The Internet Society of Zimbabwe organised the inaugural edition of the Zimbabwe DNS Forum under the theme: “Towards the implementation of a multi-stakeholder sustainable structure for Domain Name Systems in Zimbabwe”. It sought to unlock opportunities from the broader internet ecosystem, matching international standards and promoting trust and confidence in the good use of the internet.