Parly leans on Treasury for release of digitalisation funds

Farirai Machivenyika

Senior Reporter

The Ministry of Finance, Investment Promotion and Economic Development has been called upon to provide USD$70 million for the completion of the broadcasting digitisation project being carried out by ZimDigital under the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.

The call is contained in a report by the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services.

“The Treasury must ensure the allocation of about US$70 million for the ZimDigital project’s completion, with a deadline set for no later than July 2025 and for Zimbabwe to fully participate in the digital economy,” reads part of the report.

The Committee said the digitalisation of Zimbabwe’s broadcasting sector is a critical step towards enhancing its competitiveness, improving service delivery, and aligning the country with international standards.

“Countries such as South Africa, Malawi, Seychelles, Zambia among others have manged to digitise their systems. Zimbabwe risk chances of interferences of its radio and television systems because of the use of analogue whilst most countries have digitised,” the report further reads.

The digitalisation process commenced in 2015 and was expected to be completed within two years but has lagged behind due to underfunding.

The project is currently 42 percent complete.

The International Telecommunications Union, a United Nations agency had set a target of 2015 for countries in SADC to have migrated from analogue to digital broadcasting.

“The Zimbabwe Digital Migration Project is a significant national initiative poised to drive development and job creation. To date, progress has been tangible, with 18 transmission sites having transitioned to digital. Nonetheless, delays in funding disbursement and insufficient financial resources have hindered further advancements. Therefore, it is imperative that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Investment Promotion prioritise the project’s financing,” the Committee said in the report.