Zambia has proposed revisions to the Electronic Government Act No. 41 of 2021 to remove legal and operational hurdles to fully integrated digital public services.
The Electronic Government (Amendment) Bill, presented at a stakeholder meeting organised by the SMART Zambia Institute, aims to resolve legal provisions that hinder the efficient implementation of electronic government.
According to SMART Zambia national coordinator Percy Chinyama, the amendments aim to move the country from independent digital systems to a "fully connected, integrated, and seamless digital service ecosystem."
“The bill is not about adopting technology for its own sake,” Chinyama said.
“It is about using technology purposefully to build a more responsive, inclusive, and efficient public service.”
The primary focus is on revising law that still requires physical documents or handwritten signatures , delaying the transition to end-to-end digital operations.
The amendment establishes unambiguous legal standing for electronic submissions and digital authentication when carried out through certified government channels.
Echoing the strategic objective, Kasali Musenge, the government's chief technical officer, described the operational difficulties that the bill aims to address, such as fragmented, vendor-locked systems that prevent data sharing.
"These are not primarily technical failures," Musenge noted. "They are governance, policy, and legal alignment challenges."
Share
