The President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, said that digital transformation represents one of the main frontiers of national sovereignty in the 21st century, becoming a decisive element in consolidating Mozambique's technological and economic independence.
“Digital transformation is one of the great frontiers of sovereignty in the 21st century” and, he added, “today, independence is also measured by the ability to govern the digital space”, the Head of State stressed in Maputo, at the opening session of the First National Conference on Digital Transformation. The two-day meeting, held under the theme “Towards a Modern, Digital and Citizen-Centred State”, brings together decision-makers and experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the sector.
The statesman drew a parallel between past and present, arguing that, if it once fell to earlier generations to lay the foundations of political independence, it is now up to the current generation to consolidate the foundations of technological autonomy.
“Just as earlier generations built the foundations of our political independence, it is now for us to consolidate the foundations of our technological and economic independence”, he said.
For the President, digitalisation should be seen as a strategic asset for national development. “Digitalisation will be one of the great avenues of that independence. It will open doors to investment, boost productivity and create skilled jobs for our young people”, he declared, pointing to the transformative potential of technology in the Mozambican economy.
The head of government further emphasised that a robust digital State is an essential condition for protecting strategic information and ensuring institutional continuity, above all in adverse circumstances. “Without digitalisation, we reduce our capacity to alert citizens, we compromise the protection of lives and we put the nation's collective memory at risk”, he warned.
Along the same lines, he warned of the risks arising from technological fragmentation in public administration. “We must not allow databases that do not integrate and services that duplicate each other”, he said, stressing that “it is not acceptable for public institutions to develop systems that do not communicate with one another”.
In this context, he reiterated the priority given to data protection and digital security, announcing that the Government is reviewing the legislation on cybersecurity and data protection, with the aim of safeguarding citizens, businesses and the Mozambican State itself.
“We want a country where every citizen can access public services from any point in the territory”, he said.
In closing, he made a direct appeal to the conference participants: to turn debate into tangible results. “The time for reflection must be short, because the time for transformation has already begun”, he concluded.
