The Director General of the National Institute of Statistics in Cameroon, INS, Joseph Tedou, has revealed that the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, MINPOSTEL, plays a great role in the economic growth of our country.
He testified during the occasion of the presentation of the deliverables of the MINPOSTEL-INS convention for the production of statistics in the sector of post, telecommunications and ICT in Cameroon to Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng. The ceremony took place on July 18, at Mont Fébé Hotel, Yaoundé.
According to Joseph Tedou, statistics show there has been remarkable development taking place in the post and telecommunication sector, evident through investment achieved these past few years, increased employment rate, and economic growth through its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the country.
“These statistics have greatly encouraged us. Numbers don’t lie. These are not mere figures. They are the measurable expression of our reality, efforts, shortcomings and ambitions”. In a sector like ours, which is developing very rapidly, said Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng, most times actors spread unverified information. But with these official statistics from INS, it shows the government has been making valuable efforts to improve the sector.
This data presented will help in the evaluation of work done so far and how to improve on other elements according to data collected. They challenge us collectively and call upon us to act with clarity, method and determination. We now have a solid foundation through these statistics, and it is left for us to turn it into a true springboard for shaping the innovative and inclusive digital Cameroon that the Head of State, H.E. Paul Biya, envisions, the P&T minister stressed.
Speaking on the threats that come with digitisation, the P&T minister pointed out that mechanisms will be strengthened for the protection of personal data, the regulation of digital platforms and cybersecurity so that the digital space remains a realm of freedom rather than a source of vulnerability. She appealed to sector operators, technical partners, researchers, decentralised local authorities, and regulatory agencies to fully integrate these data into their management and planning tools.
About how data for analysis was collected, data scientist & research analyst Vincent Ledoux Essambe Bone explained that it was taken from two sources. The level of administration and then households and enterprises. These groups were consulted in order to get their perspective on aspects related to activities of post and telecommunications. This event was really an important one because increasingly these days, even at the international level, institutions are required to accompany their reports with sectoral statistics. This helps in follow-up and also in policy adoption.
BY SOLANGE TEGWI