President Edgar Lungu has applauded Huawei technologies for its timely and efficient support in realizing the inter-ministerial video conference on the current COVID-19 epidemic management.
Vice President Inonge Wina yesterday chaired a Council of Ministers via Video Conferencing from her office to various locations where Ministers were connected.
The move has cheered the Head state who said, Video Conferencing is a good initiative that is helping government to continue functioning fully, while adhering to the measures of stopping the spreading of COVID-19 virus.
President Lungu has also recognised the role technology plays in connecting people from different offices to discuss without holding meetings in confined rooms which has been suspended in view of the coronavirus.
“Yesterday’s’ Video Conference is an initiative that helps government continue to function fully while adhering to the measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus. I strongly believe that Covid-19, shall and will be defeated. Let us all play a part in stopping the spread,” President stated.
The Zambian Head of State last week directed the suspension of public gatherings and advised all Zambians to observe social distancing to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
Through the secretary to the Cabinet, government has also cut down public service work force to be reporting for work daily by allowing some workers to operate at home while others have been allowed to operate on rotational basis. This calls for the use of technology for public service employees who work from their homes to deliver and communicate with their supervisors.
And Minister of Transport and Communications Mutotwe Kafwaya acknowledged that Information Communication Technology could be used as a tool for development.
In a statement released to ZANIS by Huawei Technologies, Mr Kafwaya cited China as a leading country in technology which Zambia can learn from to spur its development.
“We have leant from china how the use of ICT can help the country to gain the fastest development. The use of ICT is essential in communication, like what we have experienced during the Video Conference. Given this particular period, the public needs to hear guidance from the government and the leaders also need to hear the feedback from the public, so the ICT solution is the only bridge we can use,” Mr. Kafwaya explained.
Government through Smart Zambia Institute has implemented phase 1 of the project to connect internet facilities in government ministries in Lusaka which is expected to be rolled out.
Smart Zambia Institute National Coordinator Martin Mtonga said government has partnered with a Chinese company, Huawei Technologies, to deliver telepresence equipment across the government ministries.
“Yesterday, the Vice President was chairing the council of Ministers Meeting where more than 20 minsters were online from their own offices. And all of them were contributing to this COVID fighting management. We are also encouraged that the meetings can take place electronically. And our president Lungu also held the electronic meeting by via video conference system,” reads a statement from Huawei.
Huawei Technologies yesterday connected Ministers from their offices for a meeting with the Vice President to avoid gatherings which the President suspended in the wake of Coronavirus.
Zambia has so far recorded 36 cases of COVID 19 from the time the disease broke out last year in China.