By Prince Musa in Kenema
The Ministry of Information has engaged stakeholders on its vision for digitalization in the communications sector. The engagement was held in Kenema as part of a retreat for stakeholders in the sector last Thursday.
The meeting attracted participants from mobile operating companies, the regulating agency NATCOM and the Independent Media Commission.
Minister of Information, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, said: “As a country with a youthful population, about 46 percent was between 16 and 30 years and the key priority of the New Direction [government] is to take advantage of the youthful population and increase human capital with ICT.”
Swaray also took time to address the ongoing debate about the tariff regime for telecom operators.
“The government will create an environment that will help significantly to solve this communication challenges with accessible and affordable cost,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Information, Mamadi Gobeh Kamara, said during the program that the occasion was a forum to discuss the challenges facing the sector and how they could move on.
Kamara said the ministry would critically look at “increasing access and improving quality on digital output and expanding ICT /telecom system in the country. Improving physical output and high fiber security.” She added: “Coming together as members of ICT is to share value on how to improve the quality of ICT collectively and broaden the industry and sector coordination, among others.”
The Chairman of the occasion, Augustine Sahr Sheku, who is also the Permanent Secretary at the ministry of Information, said the meeting involved all the communication stakeholders because they all had a role to help digitalize communication in the country.
“Generations over the period have envisaged different challenges, our own challenge is to see how we can bring digitization at the door step of our people,” he said.
The Manager Director of the state-owned mobile network, Sierratel, Foday Sankoh, lamented that they couldn’t compete under the current circumstances because they didn’t have the capacity as their equipment were outdated.
The Chief Executive Officer of Orange SL Ltd, Aminata Kane, thanked the ministry for organizing the program, promising her company’s commitment to continue to provide quality service.
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