Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti addressing the DTSME launch event yesterday. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula
Doha: The Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti said yesterday that all the government services will be made available online by 2020. The Minister yesterday launched the ‘Digital Transformation of SMEs’ program that is expected to benefit around 5,000 companies by the end of 2019.
“Currently there are more than 2,400 digital services available, including more than 1,000 online services and more than 600 mobile services. By 2020 all government services will be made available on the Internet,”said the Minister of Transport and Communications, speaking at an event held at Marsa Malaz Kempinski.
The Minister said that the program is designed to help SME’s (Small and Medium Enterprises) transform faster towards technology adoption, which would be the key for their future success by increasing productivity and innovation.
The Minister added that the government has clear plans for digital transformation and the enhancement of the role of technology in the different state sectors, in order to realise the goals of Qatar National Vision of building a knowledge-based society.
The Minister noted that Qatar now has some of the world’s most developed IT and communications infrastructure, be it the abundance of fiber-optic communications, data centers, or cloud-based computing services.
He stressed that it is the citizens who will lead the digital transformation, noting that Qatar is first worldwide in the use of internet. The use of smartphones is at 147 percent and social media is at 99 percent, he added.
The ministry will also implement the smart Qatar programme ‘Tasmu’ to use smart solutions in five economic sectors in a bid to speed up the implementation of Qatar National Vision 2030.
He called on the owners of small and medium-sized Qatari entrepreneurs to participate and benefit from the program, which is designed to support them to be at the forefront of ICT development.
The Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti also called on the owners of small and medium-sized Qatari entrepreneurs to establish companies capable of playing a role in the development of the digital economy and to take advantage of this golden era in the history of Qatar to build companies capable of contributing to the diversification of sources of income on scientific grounds and real economic feasibility.
Led by Minister of Transport and Communications, with strategic partnership with Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Qatar Development Bank (QDB), Qatar Chamber, Communications Regulatory Authority, QNB, Ooredoo and Microsoft, DTSMEs will provide SMEs and small enterprisers with a package of digital and consultancy services in the areas of e-commerce.
This is meant to connect SMEs with service providers, make their business more visible and modern, help stay ahead of competitors, optimise business models, allow them to identify customers’demands, give them better control over their operations and finances and increase revenues while decreasing costs.
