Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government plans to make all public services in the country digital to improve service delivery in public offices, according to Communications and Information Technology Minister, Dr Faustine Ndugulile.
So far, most of the services, particularly those related to government payments are provided electronically, thanks to the introduction of the e-Government Agency (eGA) and the Government e-Payment Gateway (GePG).
However, Dr Ndugulile said: “it should reach a time when people don’t need to go physically to public offices, particularly ministries. They can access all services online.”
Leading a newly formed ministry, he said his docket cut across all ministries as far as information and communications technology (ICT) was concerned.
“We don’t want citizens standing in queues at public offices. Instead, we want government institutions to communicate with citizens online to increase efficiency,” the minister said at the 14th graduation ceremony of the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT).
Dr Ndugulile also noted that his portfolio would ensure Tanzania becomes part of e-commerce to make traders sell their goods and services online.
“The world has moved to e-commerce and we should not remain behind…e-commerce has proved effective during the Covid-19 pandemic and we must embrace it,” he explained.
On the other hand, he challenged higher learning institutions to foresee the future demand of ICT products as he reminded them of the country’s industrialisation drive which needed the contribution of science and technology for innovations.
Earlier, when welcomed the minister, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof James Mdoe, said science and technology was a catalyst for the country’s development.
“We are happy that lecturers and students at DIT have been doing innovations, which is good, but we need those innovations to bring meaning to the nation, particularly during this time of making industrialisation a reality,” Prof Mdoe said.
For his part, DIT Principal, Prof Preksedis Ndomba, said 1,096 students had graduated this year after successfully completing their diploma and degree courses.
Speaking on DIT’s academic development, he said, it had signed contracts with 30 institutions in and outside the country for students’ field attachments
