02 Sep 2024

Government is rigorously providing digital infrastructure across the country through the village connectivity project.

Assistant Minister for State President, Honourable Boitumelo Gofhamodimo informed delegates at a dinner held to mark the end of the 58th session of the International Council for Information Technology in

Government Administration (ICA) in Gaborone recently.

The village connectivity project provides an Internet connection to communities, delivers digital services to citizen and facilitates digital transformation and reforms towards acceleration of a knowledge-based economy.

Ms Gofhamodimo said the true success of digital transformation, depended on how the powerful tools offered by technology were harnessed to better serve the citizens.

“It should not just be about implementing new systems, but fostering a culture of continuous improvement and responsiveness. The ultimate goal should be to enhance public service delivery, build trust and empower communities,” she said.

She said as the Assistant Minister for State President, and responsible for the execution of government business, she was happy about the prospects of Botswana’s partnerships with the ICA and the positive changes that could jointly be delivered.

She therefore thanked ICA and others who played a part in ensuring that Botswana hosted the three-day ICA conference, under the theme: Smart Governance for Tomorrow’s Challenges: Resilient Digital Public Services and Infrastructure.

“When we enrol and became part of this community, we can chart a long and impactful journey together that makes an impact, not just for Botswana, but for the region, African continent as a whole and the wider development side,” she said.

She said though the conference lasted three days,  it was filled with thought-provoking discussions, innovative ideas and shared commitment of advancing the role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in government administration.

“From the insightful keynote address at the beginning of the conference, to the engaging panel discussions, every moment had reinforced the importance of collective mission,” she said.

She further said participants also had opportunity to explore new frontiers of enhancing digital governance, debate the challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies and also examine ways in which ICTs could drive efficiency, transparency and citizen engagement in public institutions.

She indicated that among key takeaways from the conference, was the undeniable impact of collaboration.

The assistant minister added that the diverse perspectives and expertise gathered from the conference demonstrated that the most effective solutions resulted from working together across borders, sectors and disciplines.

Therefore, she encouraged participants to carry forward with the spirit of collaboration and innovation as they returned to their respective roles and organisations.

For her part, permanent secretary in the Ministry for State President, Ms Goitsemang Morekisi said government was dedicated to transforming the way it had been doing things to advance the country through ICT.

“We trust that the experiences that you had in this country and our neighbouring country, South Africa, will enrich your perspective and the discussion about how we can advance this noble idea of driving our economies, through the ICT,” Ms Morekisi said.

She applauded participants for the informative discussion on the complexities of ICT, solutions that they were going to come up with as well as generated partnerships that would ultimately help countries to drive the digitalisation agenda.

ICA chairperson, Mr Oren Ariav thanked government for the hospitality and unwavering support in making the conference a success.

Mr Ariav said this year’s ICA conference had been a testament for collective for innovation and excellence in the public sector.

“Botswana’s commitment to advancing digital government has set a remarkable example for all of us and we are truly grateful for the partnership. As we return to our countries let us carry forward the insight and inspiration we’ve gained here,” he said.

He also expressed delight that the conference had dealt with and explored a wide array of topics, which included Artificial Intelligence, cyber security, services and digital wallets, among others.

“The main thing is that we have established partnerships that will go with us to the next year and allow us to push forward the things that we can do together. By leveraging the power of information and digital technology, we can build a resilient, inclusive and sustainable public service that will meet the needs of our citizens, today, and in the future,” he added.

Meanwhile, the President’s advisor on ICT, Professor Vasilis Koulolias, also former ICA chairperson, was among dignitaries who attended the event. Ends