Minister Dausi says SADC still behind in ICT
Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Nicholas Dausi, has challenged communications regulatory bodies in the SADC region to develop policies that would enhance ICT services for economic development.
Dausi made the remarks in Lilongwe when he graced the opening of three days Universal Access and Service Committees meetings of Communications Regulators Association of Southern Africa (CRASA) which started on Monday.
“It pains me each time I look at African indicators. We are not doing very well and we need to continue doing more. As for the SADC region, I want us to shine because we have invested a lot of knowledge wealth in our children.
“We just need to be focused and invest more in research and bring awareness to consumers on the available ICT services that have been necessitated by ICTs,” said Dausi.
The Minister also underscored the critical role of modern ICT services in enhancing economic development saying African countries’ economies could undergo rapid growth and diversity through participation in the information society, which was highly dependent on modern and active ICT services.
CRASA Executive Secretary, Antony Chigaazira, said universal access to ICTs and postal services had been the focus of CRASA with the belief that the whole SADC region would move in unison towards provision of advanced and modern communications technologies.
He also highlighted that the meetings would also reflect on how much CRASA member nations had done in attempting the target of universal broadband access.
In her remarks earlier, Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority board Chairperson Mervis Mangulenje, also underscored the need to ensure that CRASA member countries’ national policies and regulatory frameworks allow their regulatory bodies to regulate roaming.
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