Z’bar unveils new ICT policy to power digital services

ZANZIBAR: THE Zanzibar Revolutionary Government has officially adopted the Zanzibar Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy 2026, a move aimed at making digital government services faster, safer and more affordable for ordinary citizens.

Speaking recently to journalists at his Kisauni office, Minister for Communication, Information Technology and Innovation, Mr Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga, said the policy has completed all legal and cabinet procedures and is already in force.

He said the policy’s core goal is to strengthen e-government services, ensuring that citizens can access public services efficiently, securely and at lower cost through digital platforms.

“This policy provides the foundation for laws, regulations and guidelines that will properly govern the ICT sector,” Soraga said, adding that a clear ICT policy is essential for steering national development in the digital age.

The minister revealed that the government has also approved a new structure for the ministry, featuring five departments and two existing institutions; ZICTIA and EGAZ.

Among the new departments are Communications, Cybersecurity and Digital Systems Protection, and Innovation. President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi is expected to appoint directors to head the departments in the coming days.

Soraga said the policy empowers the ministry to draft key laws, including the Personal Data Protection Act, which is at an advanced stage and is expected to be tabled in the House of Representatives during the June budget session.

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Once enacted, the law will allow Zanzibar to establish its own Personal Data Protection Commission, instead of relying on a Union-level body.

“In the digital economy, data is wealth and money. It must be protected by law,” he said.

Another proposed law will focus on formally integrating young people working in the ICT sector into the legal and regulatory system, creating better protection and opportunities for youth innovators.

Mr Soraga said the ministry’s priorities include expanding digital government services in partnership with the private sector and civil society, improving transparency, accountability and efficiency in public service.

“Through digital systems, we are building a more efficient and accountable government,” he noted adding that the government is committed to growing the digital economy by creating jobs for young people, especially innovators and system developers, while also improving digital literacy so citizens can confidently use smartphones, computers and other technologies.