BUJUMBURA January 26th (ABP) – The Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) sector is a sector that is experiencing very rapid development and significant changes, this was noted on Monday, January 24, 2022, by the Minister of Communication, Information and Media Technologies, Mrs. Léocadie Ndacayisaba, during the presentation of the report on the achievements of the first half of the 2021-2022 financial year.
According to Mrs. Ndacayisaba, that very rapid development of ICTs in Burundi means that the ministry must closely monitor this sector so as not to be out of phase with the world. This requires that certain texts must be reworked to adapt to the times and to the evolution of ICTs, she pointed out, thus indicating that she had organized meetings for stakeholders in the ICT sector.
As for the meetings organized for that
purpose, Mrs. Ndacayisaba mentioned in particular the capacity building workshops for the ICT focal points of all the public institutions, the holding of a meeting to discuss the update of the legal and regulatory framework of the ICTs, the revision of the legal framework governing the Universal Service Fund, the draft of which has been adopted by the Cabinet and is awaiting signature by the President of the Republic, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye.
In the same vein, the Minister in charge of ICTs said that eight institutions have also been provided with video-conference kits as part of the support program for the continuity of public services during Covid-19 pandemic. The data center of the Executive Secretariat for Information and Communication Technologies (SETIC) has been made operational. Today, four ministry sites are hosted in that center, said the minister in charge of ICTs.
Mrs. Ndacayisaba did not forget to point out that a week dedicated to innovation in ICT was organized in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). “Young people demonstrated their talents and prizes were awarded to the best talents by the Head of State during the closing of this week,” she said.
In the Telecommunications sector, the National Telecommunications Office (ONATEL) caught the attention of the Ministry during this first half. Indeed, ONATEL has been experiencing operational difficulties for several years and its revitalization is of concern to the supervisory ministry. Thus, actions of attempted recovery have been undertaken by the Ministry having Telecommunications in its attributions. Alongside the guidelines and advice given to company managers, a note on the revitalization of ONATEL was produced and sent to the government for analysis. During the Council of Ministers, that note was adopted and a joint commission was set up to define a roadmap for implementing the content of the note and the recommendations made by the Cabinet.
In the postal sector, she meant that the National Post Office (RNP), through its offices located in all the communes of the country, continued to facilitate civil servants to receive their salaries. Those offices have also helped the population to pay the cost of fertilizers. More than 800 current accounts have also been opened and credits have been granted to customers, the Minister responsible for Post Office said.
As for the challenges encountered in carrying out the missions assigned to the Ministry of Communication, Information Technologies and the Media, Mrs. Ndacayisaba cited the lack of means of travel for the media called upon to deploy on the ground to cover the activities. institutions and for the production of programs. The other major challenge is the unavailability in time of financial resources from the ministry in charge of Finance, which hampers the achievement of the missions assigned to the ministry.
The Minister of Communication, Information Technologies and Media also pointed out that the lack of staff in certain departments following retirement or for other reasons has also had an effect on the work accomplished.
The plethora of staff in certain departments, thus causing a high payroll, was also a handicap, added Mrs. Ndacayisaba before inviting the various departments of her ministry to redouble their efforts during the second half of the financial year 2021-2022.