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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
Cabinet has approved the Zimbabwe National Broadband Plan (2023–2030) which will be the bedrock of the fourth Industrial Revolution, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
She made the remarks after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, the last for the year 2022 before resumption in February next year after the festive season break.
The Zimbabwe National Broadband Plan (2023–2030) is aimed at enhancing global competitiveness, job creation, increased productivity, improved national security, and enhancement of performance in education, agriculture, health, and governance.
The plan feeds into President Mnangagwa’s national strategic intent of an empowered upper middle income society by 2030 which is aimed at improving people’s lives and general comfort of their entire citizenry.
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Professor Amon Murwira as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Innovation, Technology Development and Application presented the plan.
“The nation is being informed that Broadband is the bedrock of the Fourth Industrial Revolution upon which future life-changing technologies such as artificial intelligence, block chain, Internet of things and autonomous vehicles will ride,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“The importance of Broadband and its transformative benefits include the following: enhancement of global competitiveness, job creation, increased productivity, improved national security, and enhancement of performance in education, agriculture, health, and governance.
“All these are prerequisites for achieving sustainable development goals.
“Studies by the World Bank have revealed that in low and middle income economies, every 10 percentage increase in broadband penetration accelerates economic growth by 1,38 percentage points, and the Second Republic is determined to ensure that no one and no place is left behind,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She said the Broadband Plan aims to drive innovation in terms of new technologies, services, applications and business models and increase community competitiveness by attracting knowledge based businesses.
It also aims to improve the efficiency and productivity of enterprises, development of new services and applications, business models and processes that are not possible without Broadband.
Minister Mutsvangwa the plan is also aimed at enhancing the potential of human capital through easier acquisition of knowledge and skills.
“The Zimbabwe National Broadband Plan is a nationwide initiative to provide access to and adoption of Broadband Services at Government, business, household and individual levels, with the aim of transforming Zimbabwe’s growth trajectory from being largely driven by exploitation of natural resources to innovation-driven growth.
“The vision of the plan is to have ‘an all-inclusive digital society powered by premier innovations by 2030’.
“The Plan aims at developing various incentives to reduce the cost of broadband access to two percent of the average monthly income, from the current 10,1 percent, and widening the community access,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“The nation is being further informed that the plan has identified a number of key broadband projects to be implemented, Government will take the leading role in raising funding for Broadband deployment.
“Private investors will be expected to raise funding for the plan as well through sources available to them.
“A broadband committee will be created to provide periodic evaluation of progress, facilitate coordination and collaboration as well as highlight areas of programme adjustment,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
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