tawandamusarurwa
Online Reporter
Zimbabwe has set a number of ambitious targets to achieve universal access to internet and digital services, Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere has said.
The targets will see the Government working to connect schools, health facilities and agriculture institutions.
Some of the key targets for the new year, include the Smart Education programme, which will see 4 000 schools receiving an ICT lab per school, which will be equipped and connected by working with ZarNet, by December 2022; the Smart Health initiative, which will see the deployment of 1 500 health centres in terms of telemedicine by 2022.
The Smart Agriculture initiative will see 100 agricultural institutions being equipped and connected to ensure Agriculture Information Management.
Government will also continue its e-government deployment drive, with next year’s goal being the continued upgrade of community information centres (CICs) to ensure universal access.
Said Minister Muswere:
“The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic has aptly demonstrated that ICT services are no longer a luxury but a necessity for the socio-economic development of any community or nation.
“For instance, as schools were closed due to covid-19 induced lockdowns, we witnessed how students in schools that have access to ICTs continued learning through various online platforms, and yet the same cannot be said for students in schools that do not have access to ICTs.”
He made the remarks at the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz)’s annual general meeting earlier this week.
“Potraz should ensure that every community in Zimbabwe has good network coverage,” added Minister Muswere.
Online Reporter