ICT crucial to enhancing  sustainable  economic  development

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 11:22:13 +0000

BY  SHEILA SAKUPWANYA

INFORMATION and Communication Technologies (ICTs) key to enhancing sustainable socio-economic development for the people of Zambia says Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba.

Mr Mushimba said the ICTs were at the center of driving the Zambian economy as evidenced by its increased contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP)of Zambia.

He said this at the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) chief executive officer’s breakfast meeting held at Intercontinental hotel yesterday under the theme ‘The role of telecommunications in promoting E-Service’.

And Mr Mushimba disclosed that government would soon revise the SI 76 instrument that had banned the night travel of public transport buses across the country.

“As government we understand the impact of the SI 76 on the economy and how it would upset a number of industries such as the cargo, mining and the agriculture,” he said.

He, however, said that the SI76 would be revised to allow some transporters to operate 24 hours per day under some conditions that would also apply to foreign transporters who would be required to have road worthy certificates that were internationally recognized.

“On cargo for the mining industry for example, they would be given an option to operate 24 hours as long as they apply to the Road Transport and Safety Agency indicating that they would want to start operating 24 hours per day,” he said.

He said some of the conditions that would be met by the transporters were such as a company would be required to avail to the Road Transport and Safety Agency all of their freight so that they could be accessed to ensure that they were road worthy.

“The companies will also be compelled to prove certification of their freight and that their staff have been trained to be responsible on the road with a reliable monitoring system,” he said.

He said government had at first prioritized the lives of the citizenry over profit following the gruesome accidents that were claiming lives of the people almost every day.

Speaking at the same function, ZACCI president Geoffrey Sakulanda said there was need to reduce costs related to international connectivity.

“There is need to reduce local costs such as high licensing fees and seek to normalize the rate of corporate income tax obtaining in the sector which was currently at 40 per cent profit in excess of K250, 000.00,” Mr Sakulanda said.

He observed that E-services were instrumental in enabling businesses across the globe share information, experiences and solutions to specific technical problems.

He called on government to play its instrumental role of encouraging the growth of E-Services through concrete and practicable measures such as creating a favorable policy environment for telecoms and E-Service that promotes access to inexpensive and easy access to information networks.