Maseru – The Kingdom of Lesotho has begun shaping its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) strategy through a two-day workshop that opened on Tuesday at AVANI Maseru.
Hosted by the Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation (MICSTI), the meeting brings together government officials, regulators, banks, mobile network operators, utilities, academics, civil society and international partners to co-create and validate the country’s DPI Framework Concept Note.
Principal Secretary Kanono Ramashamole told participants that the initiative is a national effort aimed at laying the foundation for an inclusive digital transformation that reaches every Mosotho.
The framework under discussion sets out four key focus areas: a digital identity system using MOSIP and biometric authentication, secure data exchange to protect personal information, ID-linked digital payments for government and cross-border transactions, and measures to strengthen cybersecurity and digital trust.
Institutions taking part include the Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance and Trade, the Central Bank of Lesotho, the Lesotho Communications Authority, commercial banks, insurers, Vodacom and Econet Lesotho, WASCO, the Lesotho Electricity Company, and the ICT Association. Development partners represented are UNDP, UNICEF, the European Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Discussions will examine how digital IDs can support healthcare, education and agriculture, as well as potential SADC-wide pilots in eKYC and instant payments. The programme also aligns with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy and the United Nations’ Global Digital Compact.
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