Maputo — The Minister of Transport and Communications, Mateus Magala, announced on Wednesday that around 73% of the Mozambican population does not have access to Internet services.
Speaking in Maputo, at the launch of the VaMoz Digital project, Magala said "We are challenged to change the paradigm, identifying innovative, environmentally friendly solutions that rely on the active involvement of the private sector to provide Internet to all.'
Magala said that the VaMoz project, which is supported by the European Union (EU), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Italian Cooperation Agency, must promote and prioritize the development of human capital in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
"We cannot conduct digital transformation without highly trained technicians in Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics, 5th generation networks, just to name a few', he said.
The government expects the technical team implementing VaMoz Digital to present concrete proposals for legal reform and new negotiation models in the field of the digital economy, spectrum sharing, infrastructure and incentives for rural coverage of Internet services.
For her part, the European Commissioner for international partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, explained that the digital revolution has been bringing about accelerated connections, and so the project management must be cautious in order to unleash its full potential and benefit everyone fairly.
The VaMoz Digital project aims to stimulate private sector investment, financing, training for girls, women and people with disabilities, promoting inclusion, with a focus on youth.
"This is a country of young people. More than 50 per cent of Mozambican citizens are between the ages of 10 and 35 and that's why we need to pay attention to youth', Urpilainen said.
She added that the EU will continue to support initiatives to improve the quality of education in Mozambique, as well as to retain girls in school, particularly in primary education.
She deplored the fact that a large number of girls are unable to complete primary school due to child marriages and early pregnancies, "which negatively influences their studies and jeopardizes the country's future.'
