eBusiness Weekly
Aurra Kawanzaruwa
The Ministry of Information Communication Technology and Cyber Security launched the new National ICT Policy on March 14, 2018.
The event was graced by the President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who stressed on how important it is for Zimbabwe to come of age in terms of technology and ICT infrastructure. The event was well attended and represented. The policy itself, however, left much to be desired.
A first glance reveals that not much has changed from the last National ICT Policy released in 2015. Statistics are dated as from December 31, 2015, and there is no mention of the most important global shift that is changing the meaning of technology; the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Alarm bells scream when a thorough comb through the policy reveals absence of Big Data strategies to leverage the country’s wealth, disposition, development and resources.
There is no consideration given to the implementation of regulatory sandboxes or similar solutions to cope with the demands brought on by fintech (finance technology). This is worrying, given the country’s financial backbone is mostly built on RTGS banking and mobile money – all fintech.
There may be an urgent need for the Ministry of ICT to engage stakeholders and tech citizens where ideas can be shared on how to strengthen and broaden this current policy.
As with its 2015 version, some of the key areas that the ICT policy touches on as priorities for government are ICT infrastructure, e-government, content, ICT sector growth, local ICT industry development and empowerment, affordable broadband, ICT Research and cyber security.
It takes an understanding of what a policy is meant to be in order to see the red flags with our ICT policy development. The definition of a policy is a deliberate system of principles to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent, and is implemented as a procedure or protocol.
Globally, technology is fast becoming the cornerstone of the evolution of economics. Zimbabwe has been looking to Rwanda for inspiration for how they have used ICT to turn their country around. An extract from the Rwanda National ICT Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2024 should provide insight into what they are doing right:
“This ICT SSP leverage on principles set under the SRMP: Establishing a Service-oriented, Modern, Accountable, and Real-Time (SMART) Government that drives Rwanda’s global competitiveness and job creation;
Becoming a highly competitive, agile, open and innovative smart economy with the most favourable business climate that attracts large-scale investments, rewards entrepreneurship and enables fast growth and exports; and leveraging powerful ICT innovations such as Digital solutions, Internet of Things, Big Data and Analytics, Creative Industries and Multimedia, Mobility & Digital Lifestyle, Robotics, Block Chain, Artificial Intelligence and e-commerce.
“ICT Sector shall continue to be a catalyst for rapid and sustained economic growth, equitable social development and employment creation. The ICT SSP has defined the following seven pillars: Smart Cities, Fintech, Smart-Agriculture, Trade& Industry, Health, Education, Government, Women and Youth Empowerment in ICT.
Along with three redefined enablers: ICT Capability and Capacity Development, Smart Governance and Intelligent, and secured & shared infrastructures. Rwanda has been making significant investments in ICT infrastructure to improve productivity of the entire economy, reduce transaction costs and inefficiencies in the use of capital and labor.
In order to achieve the maximum and optimal adoption of ICT across different sectors of the economy, the ICT Sector should achieve the universal access and wider usage of broadband in Rwanda through encouraging access to appropriate and affordable finance, hardware, services.”
The biggest problem in Zimbabwe is that ICT is still looked at as hardware and software, computers and tablets. But it’s so much more than that, and can be a catalyst for giving our economy the electric shock it so desperately needs. There is no pride in celebrating mediocrity. Zimbabwe should not be mediocre in its approach to policy reformation.
We can do more and we should. The brain capital in the country to design an ICT policy that is regionally and globally competitive is there, the Ministry of ICT needs, urgently, to engage this community and address this problem quickly, before we nurture yet another redundant ICT sector.
