|
(Date Posted:13/10/2008 11:26:10)
The e-payment gateway which will enable on-line payment of utilities bills should be available by the end of the year. This statement was made by the Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Mr A. Dulull, at a visit of the Business Parks of Mauritius Ltd (BPML) and Government On-line Centre (GOC) at the Ebène Cyber Tower, this morning (October 13)Mr Dulull said that all measures would be taken to make the service fully operational within months. He added that a scheme to make the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector a rampart against the financial crisis rocking world markets is being devised. ICT-related activities should become a key sector to further the social economic development of the country and cushion the impacts of the financial crisis, he said. The Minister also encouraged BPML to expand its land occupation at Ebène and to shift its land use priorities in light of the growing demand from ICT operators to house their activities in the area. He assured the support of his ministry to all BPML endeavours to enhance the ICT sector and called for a synergy between the institution and the ministry. The site visit followed the launching of a workshop on the adoption of Information Security Standards which grouped senior public officers and IT professionals having an information duty in their organisation. Opening the workshop, the minister announced that the government will soon be coming forward with a strategy for the protection of critical information infrastructure, in line with the National Information Security Strategy elaborated as part of the National ICT Strategic Plan 2007-11. The National Information Security Strategy aims, among others, at building trust and security in the use of ICT as well as initiating measures for reporting and handling of security incidents. Mr Dulull highlighted the importance of adopting information security best practices and standards at national level to ensure that appropriate security policy measures and controls are implemented in both public and private sectors and that employees are made aware of information security issues. Cyber attacks on both the ICT infrastructure and ‘infostructure’ can have serious consequences on the Mauritian economy and security such as disrupting critical operations and causing loss of revenue, he said.
--------------------------------------------------------------
www.arshaad.net | arshaad16@gmail.com |
|
