Mutati urges African governments to digitize service delivery

Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati has urged African leaders to come up with digital solutions that will reshape the delivery of government services to citizens in various sectors of the economy.

Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutali said effective delivery of government services to citizens in education, health and agriculture sectors through the use of technology is key to digital transformation in Africa.

Speaking during the official opening of the Digital Government Africa Summit in Lusaka, Mr Mutati encouraged African leaders attending the summit  to share ideas and solutions that will make government services accessible, available and affordable to their citizens across the continent.

Mr Mutati stated that the summit is an opportunity for Africa to reconstruct solutions that will help improve technology and data systems in government service delivery for citizens.

“This summit will enable us to come up with solutions on how to improve government services in terms of cost transparency and elimination of redundancy,” he said.

And Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu urged African leaders to collaborate and mobilize resources that will enable African countries to provide Biometric Digital Identity Systems which are costing millions of dollars supplied by foreign countries.

Mr Mwiimbu added that the use of Biometric enabled Identity registration cards will enable African countries to conduct online border trade thus unlocking the economy of African countries.

He stated that the government of Zambia is leveraging different platforms to modernize  the provisions of security to safeguard all the physical and digital space which will create confidence in the citizens citing the implementation of electronic passports and Integrated National Registration  Information System (INRIS) among others.

“The government of Zambia has rolled out the Safe City Project for Security Agencies which is aimed at enhancing public security and improving the operations of Zambia Police Service, Drug Enforcement Commission, Department of Immigration and Zambia Correctional,” said Mr Mwiimbu.

Speaking at the same event Smart Zambia Institute National Coordinator Percy Chinyama disclosed that the government of Zambia will soon launch the Boma Chat App, a digital application which will enable Civil Servants to share end to end encrypted information.

Mr Chinyama said this development will help to change the bureaucracies that characterise information sharing and service delivery for civil servants.

“I would like to encourage the delegates from various countries here to reflect on priorities for planning the Electronic government policies and strategies that will enable us to create the oneness in Africa,” he said.