SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS DECRY HIGH INTERNET COSTS.
By Adiga Julius
The executive director of the National Identification Registration Authority(NIRA) Rose Kisembo has urged the government to enact policies to develop the software industry which is still engulfed with several challenges.
Kisembo was presiding over the graduation and award ceremony of software engineers at the Refectory Program in Kampala, who decried heavy internet charges that limit their technological innovations.
The Covid-19 global restrictions came with a silver lining to the software industry which saw the growth of software applications like Zoom, webinar, and Instacart which facilitate social distance. However, Software developers in Uganda are cursing the high costs of the internet for frustrating their growth at this opportune time when the industry would take off. Michael Niyitegeka program director of Refectory; a Software development skilling and training program asked the government to change its taxation approach on the internet and treat it as a necessity.
Baker Sentamu, a graduated software engineer, says the government has not given the industry the attention it deserves as many contracts are given to foreign firms yet there is enough local capacity to compete. He urged the public and government to trust local software engineers with contracts in order to grow the sector.
Many software innovations which would make life better, lack financial resources to grow to a wider commercial scale. Speaking at the event of passing out of over 350 youths who have been trained in software development at Refectory, the executive director of National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) Rose Kisembo called on the government to enact new policies that favor young technology innovators thrive.
Kisembo urged software innovators to come up with applications that can help NIRA to develop electronic identity cards and also establish systems of quick interaction and feedback from the public over ID issues.
Dr. Rose Nanyonga the vice-chancellor of Clerk International University which hosts the refractory program called for partnership from the government to develop the software industry to reach out to more youths and address the problem of unemployment.
