Vice-President stresses economic potential of ICT for businesses

Vice-President Danny Faure has urged all stakeholders to continue promoting and acknowledging the economic potential of ICT (Information Communication Technology) to small and medium-sized enterprises.

This comes in Mr Faure’s message on the occasion of the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day being celebrated today.

Mr Faure’s message reads:

“The yearly celebration of the ICT week is important as it commemorates the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day which is celebrated every year on May 17.  Every year, the Day is celebrated under a particular theme and the theme for this year is ‘ICT entrepreneurship for social impact’.  The theme is in line with the government’s policy as we are putting a lot of emphasis and resources on entrepreneurship and development of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

“Over the past few years the ‘ICT service sector’ has continued to show growth in terms of the total financial turnover reported by ICT service providers, take-up and usage of ICT services, increased in use of ICT devices including smartphones, tablets, notebooks and laptops, and the number of broadcasting service channels available. Today, ICT is a profitable and successful business sector. With the introduction of new services, ICT has changed the way our people communicate.  This has all been possible through a combination of forward-looking government policies, adoption of innovative technologies and investments by the different stakeholders in the ICT sector. 

“As a result of the continuing developments and investments that have been made, we have noticed the use of new ICT applications in different economic activities such as in health, transport, and finance.  

“In the process, as we move forward, in this increased technological and infrastructural growth, the importance of all players, big and small cannot be overlooked.  I therefore call on all stakeholders to take the opportunity to continue to play their respective roles and be more dynamic and collaborative to ensure the availability of technological solutions which meet the needs of the different segments of the economy and our population. 

“It is important that the necessary framework and a conducive environment are in place to facilitate and foster the development of ICT entrepreneurship and achieve the economic and social goals and targets that we have set together. It is said that in many parts of the world, small to medium-sized enterprises are drivers of innovative and practical solutions for both technological and economic advancement. 

“In fact, over the past years, we have continued to observe an increasing number of businesses that use ICT; either to improve their efficiency and reduce their operational costs or to provide ICT related services. 

“Through various schemes and the establishment of a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem, the government has acknowledged the importance of SMEs and innovation.  The creation of entities such as the Small Enterprises Agency (Senpa), the Small Business Finance Agency (SBFA), the National Institute for Science Technology and Innovation (Nisti), and the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation is a testimony of this acknowledgement. 

“The contributions of the different ICT service providers cannot be understated as it is them, through their investments, in various products and services that ultimately provide access to ICT. I therefore would like to stress that all stakeholders continue to promote and acknowledge the economic potential of ICT to SMEs.”

Forrás: www.nation.sc