Zambia draws 58-mln-USD investment in digital infrastructure: official

Zambia has attracted a total investment of about 58 million U.S. dollars in digital infrastructure following the removal of tax on importation of equipment for digital infrastructure in 2021, a senior government official said Wednesday.

LUSAKA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Zambia has attracted a total investment of about 58 million U.S. dollars in digital infrastructure following the removal of tax on importation of equipment for digital infrastructure in 2021, a senior government official said Wednesday.

During a panel discussion at the 2024 Digital Government Africa Summit underway in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, Zambian Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati said the investment has helped the country connect itself to all its eight neighboring countries through fiber optic technology.

Mutati said the country has seen a lot of private sector investment in digital infrastructure since the removal of tax on importation of digital equipment.

The government, he said, was promoting incentives, innovation and investment to boost private sector involvement in the economy.

Percy Chinyama, national coordinator of the Smart Zambia Institute, a government agency that coordinates and implements e-government, called for a collaborative approach toward digital transformation in Africa.

Zambia is hosting the second edition of the Digital Government Africa Summit aimed at finding solutions to drive digital transformation in Africa.

The summit, which runs from Wednesday to Friday, has attracted over 500 delegates from more than 30 African countries. ■