09 Nov 2021

ICT infrastructure connectivity will enhance remote working, electronic learning, facilitate business online and stimulate creation of small industries operating from homes.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said this in a State-of -the -Nation Address on Monday.

That followed connection of optical fibre networks to 5 680 out of 16 000 households targeted in Gaborone.

President Masisi indicated that the remaining households would be completed by the end of the current financial year.

He added that all the infrastructural developments were a demonstration of government’s commitment to ease of doing business and digitalisation of the economy.

“While in pursuit of a digitally inclusive nation, which will help upscale service delivery across the country, the recently announced Reset Agenda placed digitisation as top priority for government,” he said.

The President also said that the aim was to put 25 services online by the end of March next year, which would include online business registration system, online Visa applications and BURS online registration, birth and death registration, vehicle registration, marriage and property instrument, driving license, passport application, citizenship applications, trade, manufacturing and hawker and street vendor licensing and rebate certificate.

On e-learning, the President said most secondary schools were already connected to the Internet and government was looking into increasing their bandwidth.

“Teachers are receiving training through the Trainers of Trainers (TOTS) programme in order to increase their proficiency in ICT,” he said.

Furthermore, the President said the e-Health Strategy of 2020 to 2024 was meant to integrate and harmonise health records of patients and a home grown centralised electronic health record was being developed, while a centralised electronic medical record would be completed in December this year.

The system, he explained, would replace the current standalone arrangement at more than 400 clinics and health posts by March 2023. ENDS