We are already in the final stretch of knowing who will be the next president of Colombians for the period 2022-2026. And although guilds such as infrastructure and transportation; agriculture and energy have expressed some requests for the next president, the technology and telecommunications sector has not lagged behind either.
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This is how the Colombian Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications (Ccit), Asomóvil, the Colombian Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CCCE), Fedesoft and Colombia Fintech have expressed some of their recommendations.
According to Alberto Samuel Yohai, president of the Colombian Chamber of Informatics and Telecommunications (Ccit), the next president of the Republic must take into account the advantages that information and communication technologies bring to citizens, as well as the efficiency gains for the economy and the state.
“The democratization of ICTs has made networks reach every corner of the national geography, and this is key to closing gaps and making Colombia a fairer country with greater opportunities. Our greatest expectation is that the next government will work closely with the private sector so that together we can achieve the goals we have as a country,” Yohai told Portafolio.
Likewise, the president of the Ccit affirmed that a priority point that the next government must have is “the prompt bidding and allocation of the necessary spectrum for 5G mobile technology.”
close the digital divide, Improving access to connectivity for all Colombians and consolidating a true digital transformation of the productive apparatus are some of the recommendations made by Asomóvil, a union chaired by Samuel Hoyos.
“Connectivity today is a fundamental and transversal factor to potentiate the socioeconomic development of the country. We hope that the next president will generate both the political and regulatory conditions necessary to continue expanding 4G coverage in Colombia,” added Hoyos.
For her part, María Fernanda Quiñones, executive president of the Colombian Chamber of Electronic Commerce (Ccce), affirmed that the new government must give “absolute” importance to the ICT sectoras an axis in the economic and social development of the country.
“It should contemplate public policy proposals, focused on development, progress and innovation that allow the deployment of new forms that allow accelerating digital access and strengthening electronic commerce”, said the president of the Ccce.
Likewise, Quiñones added that connectivity, the deployment of infrastructure, digitization and the adoption of new technologies will be other aspects that must be considered within the public policy plan of the new government. “It is necessary to ensure the closure of the digital gap in the country, as a development policy, work that can only be achieved through a structured plan.”
Promote talent and opportunities
The software union in Colombia, Fedesoft, headed by Ximena Duque, stated that the next president must take into account everything related to the creation and export of IT products and services, as well as prioritizing talent technology education.
“In Colombia, despite the fact that there are several trade agreements with different countries and internal regulations such as Article 254 of the Tax Statute, there are still high withholdings on exports of IT services across borders. Another of the industry’s weak points is related to technology education,” said Ximena Duque, executive president of Fedesoft.
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According to the Colombia Fintech union, the next government will have to create a legal category linked to digital credit.
“In the country there must be clarity about the charges that are being assigned to credit consumers by electronic means, so that the confidence of all those interested in this type of instrument is fostered,” explained Erick Rincón, president of Colombia Fintech.
JOHANA LORDUY
