BUJUMBURA July 21st (ABP) – The Ministry of Communication, Information Technologies and Media made public on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, the assessment of its achievements of the second half of the budget year that has just been complete, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
The minister in charge of Communication, Mrs Marie Chantal Nijimbere, said that during the past six months, her ministry has achieved a lot and she is very satisfied with the results obtained. She said the ministry is already pleased that over the past six months, government-media relations have improved, media professionals and other national and international organizations have witnessed the significant progress recorded in the field of press freedom. Media professionals and some spokespersons of institutions had to follow a moralization session which was hosted by the President of the Republic, Mr Evariste Ndayishimiye, she added. It was during this moralization session that the President of the Republic asked the authorities empowered to conduct consultations with those responsible for the closed media to see how the latter can resume their activities, she said. At the level of the central administration, she indicated that there was the supervision of the staff of the central administration and the departments under supervision.
Meetings were held for the staff of the central administration, the staff of the departments under the supervision of the ministry such as ONATEL and the National Post Office. There was also an inspection which was carried out within the services of the central administration by the general inspectorate of the ministry.
In order to ensure close supervision and the promotion of social dialogue between staff and administration, the minister specified that visits were made to the National Post Office and to ONATEL, in the postal offices of Buyenzi, Ngagara, Buterere in Bujumbura City Council and in the post offices of Jenda, Nyagasasa, Matana, Rutovu and Rutana.
Mrs Nijimbere underlined that her ministry has also continued to implement national communication and information technology policy development policies.
In the field of communication for development, four workshops for the appropriation of the national communication strategy in support of the national development plan (PND) 2018-2027 were organized for media managers, journalists, and spokespersons for institutions for the implementation of the Burundi PND.
In the ICT field, she indicated that actions have been taken with the aim of reducing the digital divide. It is within this framework that a community tele-center was established in Kirundo.
In addition, she added, a day dedicated to the girl in the ICT sector was also organized to sensitize young girls to orient themselves in the field of ICTs.
Before ending her speech, she recalled the major challenges in the media sector, in particular the lack of resources, especially fares for travel for journalists.
In the ICT sector, she also specified certain challenges, in particular the actions which were planned but not carried out, because, the universal service fund which could finance these actions had not been operational throughout the fiscal year, she underlined.
She indicated that for the budget year which has just started, the ministry has set itself goals which are all included in the annual action plan 2020-2021. She sensitized the media to continue to play their role of informing and communicating for development.