Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has assured of implementation of the Digital Tanzania Project funded by the World Bank (WB) with a loan of US dollars150 million.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology, Dr Zainab Chaula said they have trained and appointed qualified people to take up the project.
She gave the assurance here that the WB team visited the country to see how the country is prepared for the project, which was signed mid this year to start implementation.
Speaking during the visit, Deputy Minister Eng Andrew Kundo said the project will enhance economic transformation.
In June 2021, the WB approved the Digital Tanzania Project with the financing from its soft loans window, the International Development Association (IDA).
Speaking to reporters shortly after the two parties had discussion, Eng Kundo said he had talked with Dr Tim Kelly, head of a visiting team from the bank’s headquarter, noting that implementation of the troject will spearhead the country to harness its digital potential.
The project will help to ensure that people across the country and businesses access high-quality internet and low-cost connectivity, he stated.
Dr Kelly is a lead ICT policy specialist with the global lender’s ICT sector department and information development, leading programmes on creating sustainable businesses with the use of ICT in Africa and elsewhere in the world.
He said the delegation was pleased with the on-going preparations aimed at making the project successful, with the deputy minister explaining that the project is intended to increase access to broadband internet services and improve the government’s capacity to deliver digital public services.
He expressed the government’s appreciation for the project to the visiting team, which is examining implementation readiness and paid a courtesy call at ministry head offices yesterday.
Project implementation has just started, designed to promote digital development as a key enabler of economic growth and industrialization, job creation, service delivery and government efficiency, the deputy minister underlined.
The project was vital for achieving the national development vision since implementing national strategies and plans clearly requires coordination of efforts at national and international levels, he stated.
“Our development partners including the World Bank have immensely enabled the attained success by supporting us with grants and soft loans in the ICT sector and priority areas of our economy,” he elaborated.
The Five-Year Development Plan stretching to 2025/2026 affirms that digital economy creates many new economic opportunities and paves the way for Tanzania to leverage digitization in growing the digital economy component as a whole, he further noted.
The plan sets an 80 per cent target of broadband internet access for the public, with universal mobile broadband coverage, and raise estimated contribution of the communication sector towards three per cent of GDP by 2025, he stated.
ICT helps in accelerating economic transformation as it plays a leading role in the fourth industrial revolution, based on artificial intelligence appliances to ease penetration of markets, effecting payments and making products known to the wider or global public.
The Digital Tanzania project shall help to minimize the digital gap and harness the benefits of digital transformation, in the country and globally, Dr Kundo emphasised, expressing the ministry’s ardent commitment in ensuring effective implementation of the project and timely delivery of expected development outcomes.
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