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Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent
The Smart Government Communications Suite as enshrined in the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan has been launched and is to be used by all Government employees.
The Smart Government Communications Suite which was launched yesterday by the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services comprises of a virtual platform, a secondary Government e-mail system under the Public Financial Management System and a mobile virtual private network.
The suite will enable all Government employees to connect to all Government systems hosted in the National Data Centre and on Public Finance Management platforms from anywhere around the country if they have the necessary log-in permissions.
It also connects through a mobile phone provided they are on a NetOne network with 3G being the least requirement.
Launching the Smart Government Communication Suite, on behalf of the Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Dr Jenfan Muswere, his deputy Dingumuzi Phuti said the suite will go a long way in adapting to the new order of the day to day under the difficult Covid-19 pandemic period.
“To date, around 1 000 Government back-end system users or officials have been allocated and are using the mobile virtual private network to connect to the Public Finance Management platforms and e-Government systems,” he said.
“The suite also has a private Government virtual platform. The virtual platform is a video conferencing system that allows Government ministries, departments and agencies to conduct meetings, conferences and workshops without physically grouping.
“It allows document sharing and collaboration. It also allows instant chatting and audio calling. This will assist greatly in containing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and foster continuous collaboration across Government.”
Deputy Minister Phuti said the platform is also a measure in protecting Government data and information and would in effect increase office space by moving away from brick and mortar offices as it was safe and secure.
The platform was part of the Government’s initiatives towards the development of a digital economy and achievement of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
He said the Government remained committed to curbing the spread and containment of Covid-19.
“The pandemic has not spared anyone and the nation at large has been affected.
“The new order of the day is working from home. Government as a way of managing the spread of Covid-19 has implemented various levels of lockdowns which everyone agrees has affected the normal way of doing business.
“This has greatly affected service delivery across all sectors of the economy. Service delivery needs to continue.
“The role of the ICTs during these difficult times has been felt, be it in education where e-learning has helped in the provision of e-classes, e-banking and e-commerce for the provision of financial and business services,” Deputy Minister Phuti said.
There was a need for everyone to embrace ICTs in businesses to survive in difficult times.
“I call everyone, be it the private, public sector and citizens to be ICT enabled,” Deputy Minister Phuti said.
Online Reporter