BUJUMBURA, April 30th (ABP) – Thierry Kitamoya, assistant to the Minister of Communication, Information Technology and Media, held a press briefing on Monday 29 April 2024 to inform the entire Burundians about the organisation of a national survey on access to and use of ICTs in households, public administration and other public institutions.
According to him, the government of Burundi has made the development of ICTs one of its priorities, and it is in that context that the World Bank has awarded a grant to the government of Burundi as part of the project to support the foundations of the Digital Economy. He stressed that the aim of the project is to increase access to high-speed internet for underserved populations, and to improve the government’s capacity to provide digital services. That will help lay the foundations for accelerated development of Burundi’s digital economy.
It is in that context that the government is aiming to draw up a study to better identify needs, as well as benchmark data, in order to measure progress in the various areas of digital technology, he pointed out.
Mr Kitamoya announced that the results of the survey will also be used to inform the design and targeting of digital access programmes, to draw up a new broadband policy that sets out the basic principles for deepening sectoral reform in favour of competition and rural connectivity, and that is favourable to gender equality and the climate, to draw up a new digital inclusion policy, and to assess the state of penetration of information and communication technologies in Burundian society.
According to him, the survey will be carried out by an agency selected and specialised in conducting such data collection activities, and it will be conducted among households, public administrations and other institutions. That is why those interviewers will be visiting households, offices and throughout the country.
However, he added, not all households will be involved, as the survey will target samples in communes or provinces. The data collected from those samples will provide an overall picture of access to and use of ICTs in the country.
The Ministry of Communication is asking local and regional authorities, public administrations and law enforcement agencies to facilitate the work of the investigators. It is appealing to all individuals and organisations approached to answer the questions put to them without prevarication, so that the data collection work can be carried out in good conditions.
The survey began on Monday 29 April 2024 and will close on 17 May.