PHOENIX RESEARCH INSTITUTE

NAME : MWASHEKABO KATONGWE

STUDENT ID: 23093764

COURSE TITLE: INFORMATION

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

GROUP NUMBER: GROUP FOUR (4)

QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ISSUES

ADDRESSED BY ZICTA
DUE DATE: 22nd SEPTEMBER, 2023

INTRODUCTION
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) is the
national regulator of the ICT sector in Zambia. ZICTA (2018).The ZICTA information
technology policy is a document that outlines the vision, mission, objectives, and
strategies of ZICTA in relation to the development and regulation of the ICT sector.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have gained influence in the
global development agenda and are essential investments required by all nations to
achieve the 2030 Global Agenda. ICTs are important catalysts in the achievement of
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with specific focus on development goal
number 4 which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable education and promotion of
life long learning opportunities for all.
The policy addresses the major issues that affect the ICT sector, such as capacity
building, competition, and legal framework. This essay will discuss each of these
issues in detail and explain how ZICTA aims to address them through its
policy.Macintosh, A. (2004).
Capacity building: One of the major issues that ZICTA addresses through its policy is
the lack of adequate human and institutional capacity in the ICT sector. The policy
states that ZICTA will support the development of ICT education and training
programs, as well as the establishment of ICT centers of excellence, research and
development facilities, and innovation hubs. ZICTA will also promote ICT literacy and
skills among the general public.

The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) has

embarked on decentralizing its functions to all the ten provinces, aimed at providing
the public with a well-deserved and accurate service.
Despite the implementation of ICTs in schools across the country, there are a number
of challenges that have made it difficult for the Ministry of Education to fully
implement the various tools of ICTs in schools and the delivery of computer studies
as a subject source. Some of these challenges are discussed below;

Limited infrastructure required to support the use of ICTs in schools: According to the
Ministry of General Education, various schools lack fully functional computer labs
especially in rural areas to house and support both hardware and software. The lack
of complete infrastructure in many schools has posed a security challenge to the
distribution of computers in various schools and the installation of computers
requires a fully functional computer laboratories. And a Lack of necessary ICT skills
among teachers and the specific training needed to be able to use ICTs appropriately
in the class room.
Despite the introduction of computer studies in the curriculum, there were no ICT
teachers until 2016 when the first ICT teachers were employed. As at 2015, there
were 482 ICT teachers against 96,228 learners, resulting in a pupil teacher ratio of
199:6 which is very high for successful quality education. ZICTA will continue rolling
out programs, as well as support improvements to the education sector, such as
provision of computers, to help bridge the gap in the computer pupil ratio, which is
affecting most learning institutions.
These are other issues that the members of the public have been facing, with regards
to poor network connectivity being offered by some providers. especially among
women, youth, and rural communities, through various initiatives such as digital
inclusion programs, e-learning platforms,World Bank (2011).and awareness
campaigns. By enhancing the capacity of the ICT sector and the society, ZICTA aims
to create a pool of skilled and knowledgeable ICT professionals and users who can
contribute to the socio-economic development of Zambia.

Some of the policies and ZICTA has implemented or supported to enhance capacity
building are the national ice innovation program,which aims to foster a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship among Young Zambians by providing
funding,mentorship and training to ICT start-ups and innovators.The national child
online protection strategy,which seeks to protect children from online threats and
empower them with digital literacy and skills. Seshamani V and E Kabala (2016) .The
quality of experience survey,which invites users of mobile service to provide
feedback on the quality and performance of their service providers and help ZICTA
shape the future of mobile communications in Zambia

Competition and efficiency: Another major issue that ZICTA addresses through its
policy is the need to create a competitive and efficient ICT sector that can provide
affordable, accessible, and quality ICT services to the consumers. The policy states
that ZICTA will foster a conducive environment for ICT development, innovation, and
investment by implementing policies and regulations that encourage market
entry .fair competition, consumer protection Safeguards the well being and interest
of consumers through education

Mobilization and representation .and quality of service Which is the measurements

of the overall performance of a service,such as a telephone or computer network,or
a cloud computing service,particularly the performance seen by the users of network
. ZICTA will also facilitate the deployment of ICT infrastructure and services,especially
in underserved areas, by providing incentives , subsidies, licenses, and spectrum
allocation. By creating a competitive and efficient ICT sector, ZICTA aims to stimulate
economic growth, enhance productivity, and improve service delivery in Zambia.

Legal and regulatory framework: A third major issue that ZICTA addresses through its
policy is the need to establish an effective legal and regulatory framework that can
govern the ICT sector and address emerging challenges such as cybersecurity, data
protection, e-commerce, e-government, and universal access. The policy states that
ZICTA will provide for the establishment of ZICTA as the regulator of the ICT sector, as
well as for the enactment and enforcement of relevant laws and regulations that are
consistent with international best practices and standards.

ZICTA will also collaborate with other stakeholders such as government agencies,
private sector, civil society, and regional and international organizations to harmonize
policies and regulations across different sectors and jurisdictions. By establishing an
effective legal and regulatory framework, ZICTA aims to ensure the security, privacy,
reliability, and interoperability of ICT systems and services in Zambia.And some of the
key components of the legal regulatory framework policy .

The information and technologies Act of 2009,which establishes ZICTA as the stutters
body that regulates the ICT sector and defines its function and responsibilities.The
postal Act of 2009 which regulates the postal sector and provides for the licensing
and registration of the postal operators and services .The electronic communications
and transaction Act of 2009 which facilitates the use of electronic communication
and transactions in various sectors and provides for protection of consumers,data
and privacy.The competition and consumer protection Act of 2010,which promotes
fair competition and consumer welfare in the ICT sector and other sectors.The
national cyber security policy of 2021,which provides a governance framework For
cyber security In the country and outlines the roles and responsibilities of various
stakeholders,including ZICTA,in ensuring a secure and resilient cyber
environment.The national ICT innovation program ,which fosters a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship among young Zambians by providing
funding,mentor ship and training to ICT start ups and innovators.

The essay discusses the vision, mission, objectives, and strategies of ZICTA in relation
to the development and regulation of the ICT sector in Zambia.
This identifies three major issues that affect the ICT sector: capacity building,
competition and efficiency, and legal and regulatory framework. ZICTA addresses
each of these issues through its policy by providing examples of initiatives, policies,
and regulations that ZICTA implements or supports. Which aims to create a skilled
and knowledgeable ICT workforce and society, a competitive and efficient ICT
market, and an effective and secure ICT environment in Zambia.
REFERENCES
ZICTA (2018). Volume statistics - Operator’s statistics; Accessed on 05.06.2018 from
http://onlinesystemszic- ta.zm:8585/statsfinal/ICT%20Indicators.html

International Labour Organisation, Zambia’s Employment Outlook : Diversification,

Formalisation and Education, 2017

World Bank (2011), “Definition of E‐Government”, available at:

http://go.worldbank.org/M1JHE0Z280

Macintosh, A. (2004) Characterising E-Participation in Policy-Making.Proceedings of

the 37th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

Seshamani V and E Kabala (2016) Mobile Technology and Poverty Reduction In

Zambia: A SWOT Analysis; IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance (IOSR- JEF) e-ISSN:
2321-5933, p-ISSN: 2321-5925.Volume 7, Issue 3. Ver. III (May. - Jun. 2016), PP 61-74
Accessible from www.iosrjournals.org