The Digital Government Plan 2023 -2027 (‘the Plan’) has been endorsed by the National Executive Council. The draft Plan proposes to digitally transform all of public service and make services fast, simple and clear for the people, transparent and efficient by government, increasing government revenue generation through the uptake of SME and foreign direct investments and growing the digital economy.

The Plan recognizes the absence of appropriate ICT policy interventions within the Development Strategic Plan 2030 and therefore positions itself as a strategic delivery plan for the anticipated Medium Term Revenue Strategy 2023 – 2027 and to complement the delivery of the Medium-Term Development Plan 2023 – 2027.

Source: https://lnkd.in/dd9FtW3d

The Panama Digital Gateway project is a data center and submarine integration system being carried out by Sparkle and Panamanian telco Trans Ocean Network. The two companies formed a joint venture to build the new facility.

The Panama Digital Gateway zone is one of two regions of the country that has been approved as a free tech zone. The Panamanian government is hoping that, along with $11.5 million in investments, around 620 companies will come to the free tech zones and develop Panama’s digital footprint.

Source: https://lnkd.in/d6YG_3e7

The Palau digital residency earned a revenue of $1.03 million in the last 12 months, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

MOF Minister said that he is pleased to report that the Digital Residency Office team remained focused on marketing the program, processing and improving cash flow and return on investment to produce the exceptional results we believe we have achieved over the past 12 months. Minister also said that as of mid-2023, the program has signed 8,200 digital residents and earned over 1 million USD last year.

Source: https://lnkd.in/ds_JKiws

Minister for Finance, Revenue & Economic Affairs, had considered a summary submitted by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) regarding “Relaxation from Relending Policy of Government of Pakistan for NADRA” and discussed a proposal for the exemption of NADRA from the Re-Lending Policy of the Government of Pakistan.

The exemption was sought in connection with the Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP), a World Bank-assisted initiative aims at enhancing the government’s capacity for digitally enabled service delivery for citizens and businesses.

Source: https://lnkd.in/dr5X_–D

The government of Oman launched the National Digital Economy Programme (NDEP) to accelerate the sultanate’s technological transformation and build on the National ICT Strategy.

The Programme is designed to aid the country’s progress in line with the goals of Oman Vision 2040, the country’s blueprint for its long-term socio-economic development. Vision 2040 envisages a diversified economy propelled by innovation and suitably equipped to compete in the global knowledge and information economy.

Source: https://lnkd.in/dF3R2SmC

According to Deputy Prime Minister in charge of good governance policies, Digital transformation in North Macedonia is not yet a reality. Processes are becoming more complex, instead of being simplified, electronic signatures are impossible, and they insist on interoperability and exchange of digital documents, yet they lack two basic elements which is electronic identification and a new law on archives.

The framework on digital transformation of society has been established but unfortunately, after so many years it remains incomplete. The implementation of adopted laws is also lacking.

Source: https://lnkd.in/dH4zJNb8

Nigeria’s digital ID, the National Identification Number (NIN), is increasingly getting solicited for different authentication use cases. Recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced that from March 1, 2024, all Tier-1 accounts will compulsorily have to be linked to either the biometric-based Bank Verification Number (BVN) or the NIN of the account owner.

Relatedly, beneficiaries of a World Bank-sponsored agricultural program known as the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), in the State of Niger, have been told that they must present their national ID card for verification before benefiting from program grants.

Source: https://lnkd.in/da7UfaGm

Niger’s Digital Development

In the heart of Niger’s economy lies the agricultural sector, employing a majority of the population. However, a lack of access to crucial information and tools has hampered the progress of players in agricultural value chains.

Addressing this challenge head-on is the Agence de Développement Numérique (ADN), committed to providing innovative digital solutions with support from partners like the Programme de Promotion de l’Entrepreneuriat Local (PROMEL).

Source: https://lnkd.in/dTAZJGPi

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept Nicaragua, the country’s education sector was already facing several challenges. Public school students of lower-income families coped poorly due to irregular attendance and lack of access to digital devices and connectivity.

To expand access to digital education content, GPE funded the design of digital learning platforms and tools aligned with the instructional booklets. Over 6,000 students in 80 multi-grade primary educational centers benefit from the new digital tools.

Source: https://lnkd.in/gtmr-BWr

Digital Identity New Zealand

The not-for-profit, Digital Identity New Zealand (DINZ), has provided a briefing to incoming Ministers Collins, Lee and vanVelden highlighting the opportunity to move Aotearoa New Zealand forward to become a more productive digital economy through the adoption and use of digital identity (identification).

In its briefing, DINZ emphasises the critical role digital identity plays in fostering trust in online transactions and services. A trusted digital economy necessitates assurances that users are who they claim to be, that the services we use are genuine and that products we purchase are what they claim to be.

Source: https://lnkd.in/dbjiDCxN