BY: Lemohang Botsane
In an event held in Maseru this week, Lesotho’s Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation hosted the Ministry of State of Eternal Affairs of India, His Excellency Pabitra Margherita, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
With this new focus on digital transformation, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, KanonoRamashamole, said Lesotho and India are embarking on a new chapter that will help the ministry implement its data transformation strategy, affirming that they were committed to deploying the DPI.
Ramashamole said the next steps that follow this big landmark for the ministry will be to make time to further discuss areas necessary to improve the country’s media landscape and broadcasting with the hope of yielding positive results from their collaboration with India.
Speaking at the signing event, Honourable Margherita said India’s relationship with Lesotho is deeply rooted, saying the two countries share values of cooperation and common alignment. He said the two countries can also share knowledge through several departments, from tourism to infrastructure development.
“We can all collaborate and share expertise and ideas as well as experiences in almost everything”, he said, adding that the MoU is a sign of commitment and understanding between the two countries in science and technology.
Honourable Nthati Moorosi, the Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation, expressed her honour to host India. She said the journey, which started with the signing of a binding document, was a special occasion as the two countries also celebrate five decades of vibrant relations that were established back in 1971, strengthening shared values and transparency, development and sound cooperation. This long-term relationship has also flourished across sectors including education, trade, governance and military cooperation.
It was said that the two countries, over the years, have managed to build a foundation of trust and innovation from India’s Line of Credit, India-Lesotho Centre for Advanced Education in Information Technology, to their military trading partnerships. Therefore, the agreement seeks to bolster Lesotho’s digital transformation strategy that was launched earlier this year to promote knowledge exchange, capacity building and co-development of digital solutions in areas including digital ID systems, digilocker implementation, AI-enabled public services and the development of dDigitalpublic goods are aligned with global standards.
“As we align with international standards to maintain the confidence of advanced…let this agreement inspire progress and mutual prosperity for our people,” Honourable Moorosisaid, saying the ministry was excited about the opportunities the collaboration will present to Basotho, especially young entrepreneurs and institutions.
“This MoU, signed in the wake of our national digital transformation strategy launch, reaffirms our joint commitment to driving progress and innovation,” the Minister said.
The government of Lesotho is honoured to partner with India in this initiative, a global leader in digital innovation. Through this partnership, Lesotho seeks to build capacity, exchange knowledge and co-develop digital solutions that will empower its citizens and stimulate economic growth.
