ICT ministry 'to manage all gov't IT officers'

Jun 19, 2017

"We shall now be managing your recruitment, talent development, promotion and managing your exit as well."

PIC: ICT ministry permanent secretary Vincent Bagiire (left) and minister Frank Tumwebaze (right). (File photo)

INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY


Cabinet has passed a resolution to have all Information  and Communications Technology (ICT) officers from different government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to be managed by the ICT and National Guidance Ministry.

The ministry's permanent secretary Vincent Bagiire said the resolution was passed and forwarded to Public Service.

"I know many of you might not like this but that is it. We shall now be managing your recruitment, talent development, promotion and managing your exit as well," he said.

He revealed this while speaking to Chief ICT officers from different MDAs during a meeting on systems integration in government in Kampala.

Bagiire said the move is aimed at streamlining the intended systems integration and to easily facilitate ICT closely with key players.

System integration, added the PS, is aimed at easing service delivery within the Public Service through sharing information from all MDAs to easily be accessed by the public.

"We are at the point where the infrastructure is growing yet the services are not moving as they should. That is where system integration comes in to complete the entire cycle."

According to Bagiire, all databases from various MDAs can only make sense if they are integrated and all agencies can access them in a manner that provides services to the citizens.

'Saves time and cost'

Meanwhile, the ‎director of e-Government Services at NITA-U, Peter Kahiigi, said government has made some strides in ensuring e-services to the public in various MDAS, like the e-tax systems at Uganda Revenue Authority and KCCA e-citie online revenue collection services which has improved accountability and service delivery.

James Saaka, the executive director of National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U), said the move is aimed at improving service delivery within the public service and private sector.

"We want the public to be able to access online services offered by various MDAs.

"This saves time and cost. It is also key for accountability because all transactions are easily monitored online," said Saaka.

"We want people to be able to apply for passports online because the application forms for national IDs have the same requirements that Internal Affairs asks for. Today people go through a lot of pain to get passports, driving permits and transferring or applying for land titles, among others".

The NITA-U boss said they have already kicked off the system integration project in phases, beginning with the four key areas including education, health, agriculture and justice law and order sectors, given their importance to the public.

On her part, Beatrice Lagada, the chairperson of the technical committee at NITA-U, asked all IT officers to develop systems that can ease people's lives.

"Imagine I have been chasing for my pension for over five years now. They keep tossing me, saying the file is here and there.

"Develop an electronic system that can enable those due for pension to access their money easily than being tossed around for years," she said.

 

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