Potraz bridges Nkayi digital divide

THE Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) on Thursday officially opened the Nkayi community information centre (CIC) to bridge the digital divide.

Information Communication Technology and Courier Services ministry permanent secretary Samuel Kundishora said government was in the process of providing information communication technology (ICT) access across the country.

"The digital economy and knowledge society that we are creating should, therefore, not be the preserve for those in urban areas alone, but should permeate throughout the whole country including remote areas like Nkayi," said Kundishora during the launch at Nkayi business centre.

"As government, we are making efforts to ensure the ubiquitous availability of ICTs throughout the country in order to enable those in remote areas to participate in the digital economy and to increase their overall economic well-being, competitiveness, digital inclusion, poverty reduction and improved health and education."

The Nkayi CIC is furnished with computers and internet services for the community.

Potraz director-general Gift Machengete said the information centre would empower the Nkayi community.

"The community information centre is here to create a business enabling environment. Nkayi is endowed with many natural resources that can be leveraged for development. Your timber is the best. Your metal and wood fabrications are the best. You need markets for all this and the Internet gives you markets," he said.

"We would want them to research expected rainfall and expected temperatures so that they plan their farming activities accordingly. We need them to research the possibility of drought so that they stock enough stock feed and enough grain for the dry spell."

Potraz said the statutory body was seized with ensuring that marginalised areas have access to ICTs to bridge the digital divide.