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Tuesday, 19.03.2024
eGovernment Forschung seit 2001 | eGovernment Research since 2001

State ministries, departments and agencies are dragging their feet in adopting mobile money platforms compared to private entities, a government-sponsored survey suggested yesterday.

The inaugural ICT Enterprise Report shows that only 19.2 per cent of the public institutions have mobile money accounts compared to 73.3 per cent in the private firms.

Public sector facilities that had mobile payment accounts stood at 20.7 per cent compared to 29.2 per cent in the private sector.

Speaking during the launch of the report, Broadcast and Telecommunications PS Sammy Itemere said that although the country was doing well in terms of ICT development there was still need to enhance e-commerce in order to increase gains.

“We see the ICT sector especially in e-commerce and e-government systems as an area of growth but we want to see more uptake in the country,” Itemere said.

The report which sampled over 4000 businesses across the country in the period of February-May 2016 found out that e-commerce performed well in the private sector as 61 per cent of the enterprises used online trading channels to enhance their businesses.

A survey released by Proctor & Gamble released in February showed that e-commerce, which entails trading online using automated systems, is a growing segment within the retail sector adding that many Kenyans are still reluctant to shop at online stores despite the convenience and easy access to great deals.

“Mobile payment platforms in the country are rapidly evolving, but there is still some hesitation when it comes to e-commerce, which is why we are doing this report, to bridge the ICT gap,” Communications Authority of Kenya director general Francis Wangusi said.

The ICT report showed that the government was however making efforts in enhancing internet connectivity where 80.2 per cent of public institutions had internet with 43.4 per cent providing e-government services.

Itemere said the private sector needed to create ICT management policies in order to fully benefit from the provision and use of ICT. In the report, a higher proportion of public institutions had ICT management policies at 48.1 per cent compared to 37 per cent in the private enterprises.

He said that there was need for the government to increase infrastructure development which could only be realised through Public Private Partnerships.

“We need to develop infrastructure and create an enabling environment which will allow the youth to be innovative and develop their potentials and skills. This can only be realized through Public Private Partnership in providing financial or technical assistance in the development of the sector,” Itemere said.

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Autor(en)/Author(s): Cynthia Ilako

Quelle/Source: The Star, 27.04.2017

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