By Tendai Chisiri
Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services handed over 160 computers donated by Postal Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) to the Ministry for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare for the E-Government flagship program countrywide.
Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Paul Mavima giving his remarks during the handover ceremony at Potraz headquarters in the capital on Wednesday commended the noble deed.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services for donating one hundred and sixty computers to my Ministry for the E-Government flagship program”, said Mavima.
“This donation has come in handy at a critical time when there is need to enhance and widen the spectrum of Government services offered online. My Ministry has embraced the thrust to digitalize Government services as outlined in the NDS1”, he added.
The NDS1 identifies ICTs as one of the key enablers in achieving Vision 2030. It is therefore imperative for the Ministry’s services to be digitalized in order to achieve our National Vision “Towards an empowered and prosperous upper middle income society by 2030.
Zimbabwe, like all other countries globally has been awakened to the need to use digital platforms in offering its services by the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic that necessitated the introduction of lockdown measures to contain the pandemic. As a Social Services provider, the Ministry was therefore required to remain active and assist millions of people that required urgent assistance due to loss of income and livelihoods.
“It is important to note that most of our services in the Ministry are still paper-based in this era of digital revolution. This is caused by the lack of the proper tools of trade among them computers and internet connectivity. My Ministry has four technical departments which are operating in all the ten provinces of the country. These are Social Development, Disability Affairs, Labour Administration and Employment Services and Promotion”, he said
These Departments have, as key mandates; provision of inclusive Social Protection, Labour disputes resolution, fostering a conducive labour market environment, job creation and placement for job seekers. In pursuit of these mandates, the application of Information Technology is no longer an option, but a vital tool for digital based service delivery. The Ministry has therefore identified the following twenty online solutions under the E-Government flagship(program)
The web-based online services will increase ease of access to Ministry services thereby enhancing and simplifying service delivery.
This donation will therefore go a long way in equipping all the Provincial and District offices in preparation for the deployment of the e-services solutions in the first quarter of 2023.
Apart from the E-Government flagship project, the Ministry is also developing the Zimbabwe Integrated Social Protection Management Information System. The system is now at the pilot phase starting with Cyclone Idai affected districts. The system will register all the vulnerable households in the country and the type of assistance that each household is receiving from the Government.
This includes Social Protection programs such as the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy (FDMS) programme in the rural areas, Cash for Cereals targeting the urban population, the Harmonized Social Cash Transfers(HSCT) a program that assists vulnerable households with cash, the Basic Education Assistance Module(BEAM) program which pays school fees for vulnerable children and the Assisted Medical Treatment Order (AMTO) program which pays medical bills for vulnerable groups of the society.
The Integrated Social Protection Management Information System will ultimately guide policymakers in making evidence-based decisions for the betterment of livelihoods of vulnerable communities across the country.
POTRAZ director Gift Machengete giving his remarks at the handover ceremony said the donated computers will go a long way in assisting the Mavhima’s ministry to be electronic from being manual.
” Humanity as we know it is changing, technology is changing. We are seeing technological changes across all spheres of life, across all sectors of the economy”, he revealed.
“ICTs are at the centre of most of these technological advancements and as a nation, it is paramount that we change our systems in line with the changing times – it is important that we keep up with the transforming world. We should not be left behind lest we are left behind economically and socially in the new world order”, he added.
This is why, as an Authority they have heeded a request from the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare for computers to assist in the Ministry’s transition from manual to electronic systems, as they move with the times.
Apart from the Ministry of Public Service, the Authority has also donated computers and connectivity to the Zimbabwe Republic Police as part of the e-government program. The e-government program which is ongoing will also benefit other Ministry’s and Government departments.
The computers were handed over by Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services Dr Jenfan Muswere.
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