By President Emmerson Mnangagwa believes e-Government plays a role in eradicating corruption tainting Zimbabwe. This comes barely a week after the 2018 National Budget had a generous allocation for e-government projects, with the government prioritizing ICT to cut expenditure.
Speaking at the State of the Nation Address yesterday, the President said Government initiated the e-Government in line with the ICT revolution.
“In this new era, measures being taken to vigorously spearhead the e-Government programme. Not only the means to keep in step of the ICT revolution, but also to fight corruption. This is being complemented by the current drive to boost internet connectivity all over the country,” he said.
The President on record to purge corruption in the country said corrupt individuals will be probed and punished.
A Herald Columnist Francis Mupazviriho noted how Zimbabwe has shown ease of doing dusiness through ICTs.
“Third and related to the second point, responsiveness is dependent on the utilisation of information communication technologies which are now the hallmark of today’s precision in the delivery of goods and services.
” Zimbabwe has shown commitment to this by way of e-government, ease of doing business and there is no doubt that this will intensify.
“More than before, there is need to intensify online visibility as a way of engagement with the public who are the end users of products and services, as well as the outside world wanting to see what Zimbabwe has to offer at the click of a button,” he wrote.
Ambassador Mary Mubi while addressing a Contact Centre Association of Zimbabwe symposium in September noted how the Office of the President and Cabinet had made great strides insofar as e-Government is concerned.
She said one no longer needs to travel to Harare to get a liquor license but can do it via the internet.
“The ease of doing business is looking at how how best to ease business so that we facilitate investors, not just foreign investors but also local investors and its looking at using e-Government platforms and a number of areas where we now have things online for instance liquor licence is now online people are no longer coming to Harare to apply for liquor licenses,” said the ambassador.
Ambassador Mubi said for the past two years, SMS passport notifications have been given to passport applicants.
“The other areas we have boosted in terms of ease of doing business is the registrar’s office. In terms of provision of passports. Now the passport office is a place where you get your passports and they are now sending a message for the past two or three years.
“I think the issue of segmenting our clients and also using appropriate technologies has also assisted us in a number of government departments in the ease of doing business,” she added.
Through the Zim Connect Portal, Zimbabweans and foreigners can register companies, get passports among many other things to experience the ease of doing business.
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