Moremaoto — The Acting President Mr Slumber Tsogwane has hailed digitisation, saying it has transformed the local economy.

Mr Tsogwane told a kgotla meeting in Moremaoto on Tuesday that digitisation had opened up opportunities for people in rural areas, enhancing connectivity between people, government departments and private organisations, as well as helping to enhance banking services.

He said digitisation was driving socio-economic transformation, leading to more efficient production and distribution of goods and services.

Mr Tsogwane hailed President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi's leadership strategy, saying it prioritised the needs of Batswana and would lead to a radical transformation of Botswana's economy.

He stated that President Masisi was an advocate of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which had led to schools, clinics, kgotla offices and other government offices being connected to the internet.

He pointed out that the importance of digital technology became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when technology enabled people to engage in work, business and other social activities, which would have not been possible without connectivity.

"You realised that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued with Parliament proceedings virtually, which was enabled by digitisation," he said.

He stated that new and emerging mobile platforms had played a key role in promoting digitisation, and digital trade was rapidly growing.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of Moremaoto village development committee, Mr Castro Molefe requested a doctor and more nurses for the local clinic.

He also requested government to provide the village clinic with a pharmacist or pharmacy technitian, accommodation for nurses, a mobile clinic to service farms in the periphery of the village and an ambulance.

Mr Molefe stated that elephants were destroying ploughing fields and damaging property, crying for government assistance.

BOPA