Innovation acceleration centre to boost Zimbabwe economic growth

Harare (New Ziana)- Zimbabwe is among six countries that will benefit from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) when it opens an innovation acceleration centre to boost economic growth and attract foreign investment, a senior government official has said.

Ministry of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services permanent secretary, Beula Chirume said this during a press conference held at the ongoing digital innovation profile co-creation feedback workshop in the capital.

“We aspire to build a society where every citizen has access to digital opportunities and can fully participate in the digital economy,” she said.

The workshop is being attended by representatives from ITU, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), the Universal Service Fund (USF) and other government official.

Chirume, who was represented by her personal assistant Leonard Jukwa said: “We recognized the importance of bringing together the government, private sector, academia and entrepreneurs to drive digital innovation. By working together, we can leverage our collective expertise and resources to address challenges and seize opportunities in the digital community.”

She said artificial intelligence can be used to transform industries, improve service delivery, shunning corruption and enhancing the quality life of citizens.

“However, our statutory instruments are lagging behind and are not compatible with the new technological advancements which is worrisome,” she said.

Speaking at the same occassion, POTRAZ director general Dr Gift Machengete said artificial intelligence (AI) has its complications, as it is one of the biggest things threatening to annihilate humanity after climate change.

“While global warming can be mitigated through robust human interventions, machine learning is unstoppable and its possible detrimental effects are unimaginable,” he said.

He said the innovation acceleration centre places the country on the global map as a forerunner in harnessing technology for socio economic advancements.

New Ziana