The Gauteng ICT Summit which started on Monday, 2 November is a step in the right direction in modernising the public service and stimulating the province’s knowledge-based economy.
This was the overwhelming consensus among participants who attended the ICT Summit held in Midrand earlier today.
The summit, led by the newly-established e-Government department, is a direct follow-up of the Gauteng Infrastructure Investment Conference (GIIC). The conference held earlier this year brought about a commitment from government and the private sector to develop infrastructure in Gauteng.
One of the key commitments of the he GIIC was to realize the goal of 100% broadband connectivity in the Gauteng City Region by 2020.
Speaking at the summit, Gauteng Premier David Makhura said: “We live in an increasingly digital economy and information age in which equitable access to broadband is a basic human freedom which must be guaranteed to every member of society. Connectivity is now a utility with which to measure the quality of life, human progress and economic development,”.
Makhura told the summit that the old ways in which governments and public servants interfaced and interacted with members of the public were becoming inadequate.
“Public services and public engagements have to respond to the information technology revolution where millions of people can access services and transact with governments anytime, anywhere, without coming face to face with public officials,” added Makhura.
Delivering a keynote address at the summit, the Minister in the Presidency, Mr Jeff Radebe, said Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is considered by the National Development Plan as critical to the attainments of its goals of economic growth and improved the provision of services.
Minister Radebe commended Gauteng province for taking the initiative to be the first province to introduce tablets in all high schools with the aim of taking public schools into the 21st century.
“This is what I call leadership and this can only be expected from a province such as Gauteng, our economic heartland,” said Minister Radebe.
Premier Makhura also urged the private sector to train more young people to take up jobs and other economic opportunities within the ICT space and partner with government to achieve the province’s ICT goals.
The Gauteng Provincial Government has adopted a five-pillar strategy to transform Gauteng into a “Smart Province” and a Connected Global City Region (GCR). Through this strategy the GCR seeks to:
- Build an enabling broad-band infrastructure for a connected government;
- Create an enabling platform to deliver e-government services;
- Establish a Gauteng City Region structure to co-ordinate, standardise, regulate and prioritise the implementation of our e-government initiatives;
- Promote the use of e-government services across the board - by government, citizens and the private sector;
- Stimulate the ICT economy by encouraging public, private partnerships for the development and roll-out e-government services.
Enquiries:
Thabo Masebe
Cell: 082 410 8087
Email: Thabo.Masebe@gauteng.gov.za
