ICT adoption to enhance service delivery

The adoption of technology and application of digital solutions has made it possible for the public sector to offer services in a fast and cost effective manner, at the same time presenting business opportunities for the private sector, industry players have said. Speaking on the first day of the Transform Africa summit, in Kigali yesterday, players in the ICT sector said the increased adoption of ICT and broadband connectivity had opened up opportunities for them. The forum, which brings together over 2,500 delegates representing over 80 countries, is being held under the theme: “Accelerating Digital Innovation.” The summit aims at offering a platform for dialogue and deal-making between governments and the private sector on technology solutions and to provide a space for young innovators from Africa to showcase their potential. Players in the industry said as a result of the adoption of technology, private sector operators have found ways to develop products, services and platforms that have made it possible for the governments to improve service delivery. Among the initiatives born out of the development is Rwanda Online Platform which was last year contracted by the Government to build and manage a platform for about 100 government services online. So far, the firm has built a platform dubbed ‘Irembo’ which is now offering online registration for provisional and definitive driving tests, marriage certificates, application for a birth certificates and application for a criminal record. Clement Uwajeneza, the firm’s chief executive officer, said they plan to have about 30 services available on the platform by the end of the year. Uwajeneza said the adoption of ICT in the country made it possible for the Government to create room for the growth and prosperity of other innovations. “The approach of our project is more of a public-private partnership, where the business starts generating revenue when the public begin using the platform. We have to find a way to add value to the process for the platform to be profitable. I commend the Government for adopting the innovative approach to foster innovations in the country to improve service delivery,” Uwajeneza noted. Another firm that has been able to find relevance in the market due to the ongoing ICT adoption is POSITIVO BGH, A Latin American electronic firm that set up shop in the country last year to locally produce laptops to facilitate the Government’s initiative of ICT in education. The firm’s Africa president, Juan Ignacio Ponelli, says the progress had presented numerous opportunities as wholistic solutions were required to make sure they had maximum impact on users and end beneficiaries. “In the case of the education sector where we are, there are opportunities beyond presenting the hardware; software is required for the technology to serve users better,” Ponelli said. In the process of pursuing the opportunities, developers and entrepreneurs have been advised to ensure that their solutions have features such as user impact, scalability and relevance in the long run. The director of Venture Capital and Start-ups Africa Initiatives at Microsoft, Amrote Abdella, said in the process of pursuing the opportunities, it was important to take into account factors such as the possibilities of scaling up the solution to the region. Giving an example of the health sector, Dr Emile Rwamasirabo, the chief executive at King Faisal Hospital, challenged ICT industry players to ensure that their interventions were affordable for them to impact a wider market.

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ICT adoption to enhance service delivery