The Gambia is to drive a Commonwealth initiative aimed at ensuring improvements in digital infrastructure underpin economic progress.
The Gambia is to drive a Commonwealth initiative aimed at ensuring improvements in digital infrastructure underpin economic progress.
The Physical Connectivity group is one of five clusters of activity promoted by the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda on Trade and Investment, agreed at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.
The target of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda is to increase intra-Commonwealth trade from $560 million to US$2 trillion dollars by 2030.
The Gambia Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration & Employment, Amadou Sanneh said: “The Gambia is pleased to be leading the Physical Connectivity Cluster of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda.
“Changes in technology will require new and different forms of infrastructure if developing countries are not to be left behind.
“We look forward to having Commonwealth members at different levels of development share their experiences so that all Commonwealth countries can take advantage of the changes in technology.”
Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said: “To benefit from the fourth Industrial Revolution, Commonwealth members will need to build the right digital infrastructure.
“To do this they will have to put a policy and regulatory framework in place that unlocks private investment.
“By leveraging the experiences of members who are further along on this journey, the Commonwealth will ensure all members are able to identify the best practices for these policy and regulatory frameworks.”
The inaugural joint meeting of the Digital Connectivity and Physical Connectivity Clusters take place 19-20 March in Durban, South Africa.
