Mbabazi lauds China on Uganda’s digital migration
Mr Xinxing (L) and other officials, guide Mr Mbabazi to a tour of the company offices in Beijing recently. Courtesy Photo.
The Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi has said the role that Chaina has played in developing Uganda, particularly in the area of digitalising the country’s broadcasting airwaves cannot be just wished away but lauded.
Speaking at a working visit to China, Mr Mbabazi said China’s profound interest broadcasting answers the socio-economic transformation challenges in Africa and Uganda in particular because their modes of broadcasting comes with modern technology necessary for facilitating Digital Migration.
Uganda is in the process of transiting from analogue to digital broadcasting, a global undertaking that was agreed by the 2006 UN Geneva.
Although Uganda has been slow at the implementation of digital broadcasting, the government is optimistic that the country would have achieved full digital broadcasting before the 2015 global deadline.
At a meeting with senior officials of StarTimes Digital Television in China, Mr Mbabazi said: “The role of the media in mass awareness and national development cannot be wished away, and that is why we liberalised the airwaves to achieve its full potential in mobilising, educating, entertaining and informing the public.”
StarTimes, a global digital pay TV service provider, which is headquartered in Beijing, is among a list of companies in Uganda that are involved in the implementation of digital migration.
Mbabazi noted that as Uganda seeks to fully take part in the evolution of television broadcasting technology, and the country remains confident that her partnership with Chinese investors has a great role to play in having development dreams successfully achieved.
The StarTimes global chairman, Mr Pang Xinxing said the investments have only been possible due to the fact the Ugandan government has ensured that there is an enabling environment for the business prosperity.
