MEC for Finance and e-Government Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko yesterday outlined the priorities of the Department of eGovernment for the financial year 2022/23.

The MEC said the department’s budget increased to R1.6 billion for the 2022/23 financial year and is dedicated to the implementation of the following critical components of the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) Digital Ecosystem: Modernised Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure and connectivity, Provision of a digital platform, e-services and applications, Provision of provincial ICT oversight and governance, Facilitation of ICT solutions advocacy, facilitation and communication, Facilitation of ICT industry stimulation and ICT skills development.

Modernisation of the provincial ICT infrastructure and provide connectivity is a course to commercialise the Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN). Three phases of the GBN in partnership with State Information Technology Agency (SITA) will be rolled out. 888 sites will be provided with Wide Area Network (WAN), 84 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), 118 Local Area Network (LAN) connectivity sites and 45 Wi-fi hotspots will be provided in identified areas across all five regions of the province. Fifteen e-services will be developed, enhanced, upgraded, published, and tested in the 2022/23 financial year. This will be done together with required applications on the GPG Common Platform.

Provision of provincial ICT oversight and governance province is a 4IR Strategy and the e-Waste management strategy that were developed and approved to ensure good governance. This two Strategies are to unlock economic opportunities particularly for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, while also allowing the province to support SMMEs more effectively and contributing to Township Economy Revitalisation (TER).

Facilitation of ICT solutions advocacy, facilitation and communication is to uptake, relevancy, efficacy and usage of e-services and applications in the Gauteng Digital Platform. The Department will therefore actively advocate the availability and convenience use of e-services through campaigns to beneficiaries or Gauteng communities. Ten advocacy awareness campaigns and seven digital surveys will be conducted.

Facilitation of ICT industry stimulation and ICT skills development will implement the Gauteng ICT Skills Development Strategy, to provide training to youths and government employees. This will be done in collaboration with ICT partners and Higher Education Institutions, and a partnership formed with Hauwei, Siyafunda an ICT NGO and Microsoft. A total of 10 000 youths will benefit from ICT skills development programme (Action Lab Programme) and 150 will be placed for ICT experiential learning

Last year the department launched the Centre for Excellence in partnership with Microsoft, to drive digital innovation, enhance the township economy revitalisation programme as well as accelerate skills development and capacity building. This centre also helps young people to become digital innovation leaders, and over 15,000 young people have already been trained. Several initiatives such as the #DigitalSistaz have also been introduced to ensure that the development of ICT skills has been accelerated.

Ends

For more information contact: Mr. Sithembiso Ndlovu on 063 698 4274, sithembiso.ndlovu@gauteng.gov.za  or MEC Spokesperson Mr. Tshepo Shawa on 072 222 6333, Tshepo.Shawa@gauteng.gov.za

For media releases, speeches and news visit the Gauteng Provincial Government's portal at www.gauteng.gov.za.

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