AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government has expressed its commitment to working with stakeholders in communications to ensure members of the public accesses quality communication services in all parts of the country and at affordable costs. Likewise, it has said it will soon issue a statement on voice and bundles.
This was expressed by Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Dr Faustine Ndugulile, in Dodoma on Thursday during a meeting with executives from telecommunications companies operating in the country.
The meeting, among other things, focused on addressing challenges facing the sector, including working on a common strategy to have high speed communication and data services.
“The government wants to see its people accessing communication and data services during this time of e-business and having access to e-government services to help boost the country’s digital economy,” he said.
Mr Ndugulile said they also discussed data and voice bundles and costs charged by mobile phone service providers, insisting that the government would soon issue its statement on the matter.
Of late, there have been complaints from consumers blaming mobile phone service providers of “stealing from them”. He said the government would continue working with telecommunications service providers by creating a favourable environment for their operations, including addressing challenges facing the sector.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Dr Zainab Chaula, said the government had heavily invested in information and communications technology (ICT) to improve productivity and simplify life, including improving service delivery.
For her part, Universal Communications Service Access Fund (UCSAF) Executive Director Justina Mashiba said UCSAF had organised the meeting with stakeholders to implement the minister’s directives.
One of the meeting agenda items was on strategies to provide affordable, but effective communication services to rural areas using simple technologies.
