IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

I could not believe this and asked him whether that was the true position government had taken. His answer was in the affirmative. He further stated that this was the reason why embassy staff in London were traveling throughout the country asking people to renew their passports. Well, I thought if this is the way our government is going to conduct its business, then I am sorry we may sing as many songs as we like but no serious tourists, investors, or any other business partners would ever take us seriously. I thought for a while and wondered whether the advent of ICTs and the development of ICT based systems meant anything to our policy makers.

President Banda said the exchange of and access to information and knowledge through the use of ICTs has contributed to development of many countries in Africa .

He said ICTs have the potential to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich nations in the world, adding that it would be to the advantage of the African countries to embrace the ICTs in their quest to develop further.

Speaking at the launch of the Limulunga Multi-purpose Telecentre, which is located at the Lozi plateau capital of Limulunga, President Banda said ICTs played an important role in national development.

He noted that there was a positive relationship between investment in ICTs and the overall gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

A little retrospection of the previous elections indicate that the vote casting process have been marred with long and tedious processes of queuing up for long hours. This has been the trend in most African states yet avoidable. Right now the world has attained such high levels where one can vote while sitted in their own homes. This is not impossible in Zambia.

Zambia and Kenya were embracing information technology as a means to protect integrity of their voting systems and to showcase their ability to use technology for development. Zambia's efforts, however, have outpaced Kenya, which has introduced an electronic voting system in a bid to curb electoral malpractices.

Colonel Kaunda also said although Zambia is landlocked, it is now being respected as a land-linked country whose ICT industry is currently one of the fastest growing in the region.

Zambia launches a Public Service Change Management Framework, accelerating digital transformation for efficient, transparent governance and improved citizen service delivery.

In a significant move to enhance digital transformation and improve service delivery, the Zambian government has launched the Public Service Change Management Framework.

Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr. PATRICK KANGWA, officiated the launch, commending the e-Government Division (SMART Zambia Institute) for its efforts in revolutionizing access to government services through digital means.

Reported by the Lusaka Times, the biometric cards will be embedded with a secure chip containing both biographical and biometric data.

“We have plans now to introduce the Biometric identity cards which are going to have security chips on them and which will be compliant with the electoral system, Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Maxwell Nkole said. “This is the programme we are working in conjunction with the Department of National Registration”.

Communications and Transport deputy minister Col. Panji Kaunda said at the launch of the National Council for Construction website that technology has simplified the way companies do business.

Kaunda said contractors will now be able to register their companies and renew their certificates through the website as opposed to physically going to the National Council for Construction offices for registration.

The new policy, launched last week (28 March), concentrates on using information and communication technologies (ICT) to popularise telemedicine and disperse information for farmers.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Wednesday called on public workers to adapt to the e-governance system his government has adopted.

Lungu said he wanted the electronic system to become part of his government’s legacy.

Dr Phiri said in an interview that the power of ICT had the potential to benefit learners but could also work to destroy the morals of the technology users.

He regretted that there were no clear guidelines on the use of technology in schools as it was the emerging field posing a huge challenge to end users.

The Biometric NRCs will be embedded with a security chip containing data of the holder and its biometric features would make it difficult for the identity card to be forged as is the case with the current cards.

Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Maxwell Nkole who disclosed this in Lusaka yesterday said the security features contained in the chip would, among others, address electoral malpractices.

Mr Shamenda said the introduction of ICTs in schools is a sign that the world is evolving and therefore the need for children to be exposed to new technologies.

“The world is now highly dependent on technology, so it is important that children are introduced to these things at an early stage,” he said.

He said this while officiating at the opening of the E-Tech Africa 2014 Exhibition and National ICT Finalisation Workshop yesterday.

Mr Ngoma noted that despite a lot of advancement that had been made in the area of ICT, there were a lot of challenges which should be addressed.

GOVERNMENT has urged the public and private sectors to effectively embrace the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) to stimulate economic development, Minister of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba has said.

Mr Mushimba said embracing ICTs is in line with President Lungu’s vision of making the country smart by promoting innovation in the provision of products and services.

Dr Mwansa said Zambia has continued to register growth in the ICT sector due to a free and open market that has embraced a stable business environment in the country.

He said there are a number of viable investment opportunities in the ICT sector in Zambia that need to be explored.

Government is doing all it can to ensure Zambians have access to advanced technology through the e-government project and digital migration, Minister of Communications, Works and Transport Yamfwa Mukanga has said.

“This, in turn, gives additional revenue to Government through income tax… As we launch this new product – the Samsung S6 – I urge you to move with technology. Let us migrate and be among the best. As a country, we cannot be left behind,” Mr Mukanga said at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S6 on Friday night.

Smart Zambia National Coordinator Martine Mtonga says implementation of E-governance system will help eliminate fraudulent activities and enhance transparency on the part of the government.

Dr Mtonga says through E- governance, government services will be availed to all citizens in a convenient and transparent manner.