Minister: Northern Province Embracing Digital Innovation
Northern Province will welcome investment in digital technology in order to unlock the social and economic potential of the region, Northern Province Minister Leonard Mbao has said. The announcement came during a business forum he was officiating in Kasama, organised by MTN Zambia, the country’s leading telecommunications provider. It is hoped such a move will innovate the region’s tourism sector and mining industry.
Mbao told the business forum, “This government is committed to delivering inclusive and equitable development to the citizens. Therefore, digitalisation is a catalyst in the provision of inclusive development and as a government we welcome MTN’s innovation in coming up with digitalised services and products for its clientele. The government is convinced that this kind of digital innovation and forum is the sure way of unlocking the development potential of the province.”
The government’s Constituency Development Fund (CDF), originally introduced in 1995 as a means of encouraging local development in communities across the country, is important in the development of these digital services. The CDF, along with the government’s decentralisation of local policy, can enable local governments to partner with service providers in developing connection and innovation in the region.
The Minister noted the growth of mobile network and digital financial services in Zambia. This was emphasised by MTN’s General Manager North, Elias Chembe, who revealed the company has built 82 4G towers in the region and has plans for the erection of many more, of which 11 will be in the Northern Province.
Chembe said, “In line with the government’s decentralised policy where each constituency is given its share of the national cake, market loans given to our marketers, social cash transfer given to the intended beneficiaries, MTN mobile money services provide the needed support that the government needs to execute its mandate in these areas.”
He stressed MTN’s aim for more regional investment and collaboration with local government, traditional leaders, and Zambian businesses.