By Andrew Irumba
Frank Kagyigi Tumwebaze, the Minister for Information Communication Technology (ICT) and National guidance has Thursday officially launched the Sector Annual Joint Review Workshop, which will run from October 24 to 25th at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
The Workshop, running under the theme ‘ Strategize and Tap into the 4th Industrial Revolution for Sustainable National Development’, is being attended by several ICT stakeholders among them staff of the Government Citizens Interaction Centre, Uganda Media Council, Posts Uganda, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Vision Group, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, among others.
In his opening remarks at the workshop Minister Tumwebaze noted that there are four key areas that need a lot of attention, which include: Connectivity, Quality of service and Regulation, Penetration of e-government and Communication of Government Services and programmes.
He later tweeted thus about the Workshop: “I have this morning opened our ICT Sector Review Meeting attended by sector players, both private and public. My 5 key points to the meeting were: 1. Universal connectivity both for voice & data, 2. ICT job creation through supporting of knowledge products & commercializing them..Government agencies must not have it as an option but a mandatory requirement to take all their services online. This has enormous benefits to the citizens….4. ICT job creation thru supporting of knowledge products and commercializing. 5. Finally, I asked government to improve quality of communication.
Quality of service. I asked the regulator (UCC)
and Telecoms to create a win-win environment both for them as business entities and customers. Communication services must both be reliable and affordable so as not to leave out any body.”
Among the notable attendees at the Review on Thursday was Win Van Hallepute, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) MTN Group, said that there is need for all stakeholders to come together and develop the ICT sector in a collaboration.
Amidst the Workshop however, the MTN boss found a difficult time answering a question from one of the participants about why Telecom companies illegally invalidate unconsumed data on from mobile phone users, something that has since been outlawed in countries like Kenya, Ghana and others.
After being caught in a tight spot because of the question, Win waltzed over it and promised to tackle the matter at a later date.
