The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT), in attendance of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (nbc), New Era, and the Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA), held a leadership retreat where they discussed strategies on how to address issues in the ITC sector.

The retreat, held at Von Bach Dam Resort outside of Okahanja, brought together board chairpersons, CEOs, and senior managers under MICT and its parastatals, where they shared their successes and challenges they encountered as well as how they would negotiate the way forward.

Minister Emma Theofelus said that by sharing resources and avoiding duplication of efforts, the institutions could maximise their impact while conserving their scarce resources.

She said that their mandate is to lay the foundation for the accelerated use and development of ICT in Namibia and to coordinate the acquisition of information technology within the government.

"In today's global economy, countries increasingly partner to procure goods and services, leveraging their bilateral relations to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. These partnerships open up new avenues for innovation, growth, and development. I encourage you to explore and exploit opportunities within our bilateral relations. By doing so, we can bring in new technologies, foster international collaborations, and ensure that our ICT sector remains at the cutting edge."

The Executive Director of the ministry, Dr. Audrin Mathe, revealed in a presentation that the ministry has crafted a two-year strategic plan that focuses on consolidating an effective and efficient regime, driven by modern technology, to address the country's needs and priorities.

"We expect public enterprises to align with where the government is going. That is the thinking on our side. Because you are the only ones not getting elected, we have the pressure of setting the agenda for development for the rest of the country. Therefore, public enterprises, because you carry out the work that ordinarily rests with the government, we expect public enterprises to carry out this mandate on our behalf."

The Ministry said it is also embarking on many programmes and projects, some of which include the merger of the Namibia Press Agency and New Era and the dismantling of the Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings.