UN for accelerating digital economy in developing countries
United Nations Commission for Trade and Investment (Unctad) says advancing the digital economy in developing countries has become “an undeniable need” that requires stronger collaboration and capacity-building.
In a statement, Unctad said the rise of digitalisation has seen businesses and consumers increasingly move online, but not all countries are equally positioned to benefit.
Reads the statement in part: “In least developed countries [LDC], for example, only an average of six percent of people shop online compared to 62 percent in advanced economies.
“Also, less than half the population in LDCs can access 4G mobile network coverage, which is crucial for supporting digital trade.”
The UN noted that creating thriving digital economies in developing countries, including Malawi, is far from finished, and that it requires joint actions to ensure that the digital revolution becomes more inclusive and can deliver vast development outcomes.
Malawi has been collaborating with international bodies, including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations specialised agency for information and communications technologies (ICT) to fully migrate into a digital economy.
Minister of Information and Digitisation is on record as having said Malawi is fast becoming a digital economy, one characterised by the worldwide network of economic activities, commercial transactions and professional interactions that are enabled by ICT.
He, however, said there is high cost of deploying digital infrastructure and lack of digital/technical skills in public service, adding that “Malawi needs digital government legal and regulatory frameworks to accommodate the fourth industrial revolution”.
