MTCIT introduces the National Digital Economy Programme

Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) introduces the National Program for Digital Economy

Ibra: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology today held an introductory meeting on the National Digital Economy Programme in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate, as part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to support and stimulate the digital economy in the Sultanate of Oman.

The meeting is being held with the participation of the Central Bank of Oman, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of North Al Sharqiyah. It aims to raise awareness among employees, individuals and students about the importance of the digital economy and its role in strengthening the national economy.

During the meeting, the ministry presented a presentation on the National Digital Economy Program, which was launched in 2021 to raise the contribution of the digital economy to the GDP to reach 10% by 2040. The presentation focused on eight executive programs, including government digital transformation, financial technologies, e-commerce, and digital infrastructure development.

The meeting discussed a working paper on the government digital transformation program “Tahawul”, one of the main projects in the Sultanate of Oman’s five-year plan, which focused on the importance of building human capacities and qualifying national cadres to work in the fields of digital transformation, digitizing government services to improve the quality and efficiency of services provided to citizens and investors, and developing the digital infrastructure to support comprehensive digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman, in addition to improving the investment environment by providing advanced digital government services that contribute to enhancing the business environment and attracting investments.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion reviewed the National E-Commerce Plan, which aims to make the Sultanate of Oman a regional hub in the field of e-commerce through 30 initiatives distributed over several main axes.

The mechanism for obtaining the licenses required to practice e-commerce activities was also comprehensively discussed, in addition to focusing on the “Maroof Oman” platform, which documents licensed e-stores to enhance consumer confidence and support the growth of e-stores operating in the Sultanate of Oman.

For its part, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority presented a working paper on the executive program for digital infrastructure, which aims to expand the fiber optic network and increase the spread of fifth-generation networks. Plans were also discussed to gradually stop third-generation networks in favor of fourth- and fifth-generation technologies, develop new data centers, and extend submarine cables to support the Sultanate of Oman’s ability to achieve digital transformation at the global level.

The Central Bank of Oman reviewed a working paper on the executive program for financial technologies, which is part of Oman Vision 2040. The program aims to develop a comprehensive digital environment that supports financial inclusion and contributes to business growth. The paper includes several key initiatives, including the national “Know Your Customer” platform, which facilitates the electronic verification of customer identity.

A regulatory framework for financial technology has also been developed to enhance innovation in this field, in addition to supporting non-cash transactions and increasing the number of licensed digital solutions, which contributes to accelerating the digital transformation of the financial sector.

The initiative of the governorates’ ambassadors for digital transformation, which was recently launched by the “Transformation” program, was also discussed to raise community awareness of the importance of using modern technologies and their role in improving the quality of life, and enhancing the trend towards digital life, in addition to maximizing the benefit from the elite and national competencies of technicians and activists who have the passion and skills in the fields related to digital transformation in all governorates of the Sultanate of Oman to contribute as ambassadors to achieving the goals of digital transformation.

The meeting, which was attended by His Excellency Mahmoud bin Yahya Al Dhahli, Governor of North Al Sharqiyah, concluded with an open discussion session that provided participants with the opportunity to exchange views and ideas on ways to enhance the digital economy in the Sultanate of Oman.

This session contributed to enhancing interaction between government agencies and participants and presenting new proposals aimed at supporting digital transformation and achieving sustainable development.