A forum to discuss the operation guidelines and registration of internet cafes in Gambia was convened by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) on Tuesday.
The forum was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure (MOICT).
The Point reports the forum was held to update all stakeholders, owners of the cyber cafes and operators on the requirement for registration.
The protection of minors using the internet cafes, operational guidelines, internet service provider guidelines and the use of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) were discussed among others.
HumanIPO reported in April the Gambian government backtracked on initial statements which had suggested VoIP services including Skype and Viber had been banned in the country.
Abdoulie Jobe, director general of PURA, said the legal, technical and institutional challenges posed by the issue of cyber security are global and far-reaching and can only be addressed through a well planned strategy.
“It is amazing how ICT has transformed our lives in the last decade,” said Jobe.
“Ten, 20 years ago no one would have envisioned the level of advancement we are witnessing in ICT across the globe and Gambia is no exception.
“In governance we are witnessing citizen participation on national issues at levels never [seen] before.”
The event was the first National Consultative Forum on Internet Cafes.
