Attorney General calls for more data-sharing
Isaac Pinielo | Tuesday October 31, 2017 15:13
Approved by Cabinet in 2007, the policy provides that national connectivity will help draw communities closer together and facilitate economic growth and development in all regions of the country. “Online information on employment, community development, healthcare, education and government services all feature prominently in the policy’s recommendations,” Keetshabe said. He noted that increased levels of e-commerce will enable local companies to compete in the global marketplace.
In addition, he said the development of a vibrant and entrepreneurial ICT sector will create further employment, greater economic diversification and boost investor confidence.
“The national ICT policy acts as an enabler for economic growth and national development of Botswana,” Keetshabe said.
According to the attorney general, the policy provides Botswana with a clear and compelling roadmap that will drive social, economic, cultural and political transformation in the years ahead through the effective use of ICT.
“The development of the national ICT policy actively involved a wide range of participants from the public and private sectors, as well as the civil society,” he said.
He further pointed out that the policy provides that specific initiatives for the connectivity laws and policies programme include media neutral legislation to deal with electronic documents, amendments to specific legislation, including the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, the Authentication of Documents Act, and the Foreign Documents Evidence Act.
Also, he said, it should include development of policy and possibly legislation dealing with electronic signatures, and development of policy and possibly a combination of legislation and industry codes of conduct to deal with the protection of personal privacy, particularly in the context of cross-border data flow, health care and financial services and transactions.
Keetshabe said the development of legal and regulatory framework is at a budding stage, with work having started in earnest in the year 2010. He said the government recognises that the introduction of electronic commerce and e-services will bring about increased opportunities for the abuse of personal data.
“For this reason, the drafting of the Data Protection Act has been identified as a priority,” Keetshabe said.
He noted that a draft of the Bill has been completed, adding that consultations are ongoing. “Examples of personal data are address, national identity card, credit card number, bank statements, criminal record, and so on,” he said.