AMI

Government Spokesman: The Decision to Shut Down the Internet is Subject to Legal and Regulatory Procedures

Nouakchott

The Minister of Petroleum, Mines and Energy, government spokesman, Mr. Nani Ould Chrougha, said that the Internet shutdown is subject to legal and regulatory procedures (decrees taken by the Council of Ministers in 2013), because it is not a question of depriving the citizen of a public service, but of a security necessity

In response to a question on this subject, commenting on the results of the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Tuesday evening, at the press conference room of the Mauritanian News Agency, in Nouakchott, with the Minister of Digital Transformation, Ould Chrougha stressed that some countries have cut off the Internet for several days and others for months.

Regarding the draft law containing the Green Hydrogen Code, the Minister said that the project will enable the exploitation of the large surplus from exports of renewable energy, which will contribute to the provision of electricity services at affordable prices, in addition to the environmental dimension of the project by combating environmental pollution, by reducing gas emissions.

He pointed to the positive repercussions of renewable energy on the national economy, given the great potential that Mauritania possesses in the field of renewable energy, and the huge areas that qualify it to accommodate many economic projects in this aspect, as well as the strategic geographical location of the country in exporting this energy to global markets.

With regard to the draft law on local content in the extractive and energy sectors, the Minister explained that the draft decree comes in response to the growing role of these sectors in order to achieve a number of key objectives in this field, such as promoting diversification in the national economy and creating added value.

For his part, the Minister of Digital Transformation, Innovation and Modernization of Administration, Mr. Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Louli, said that the draft decree specifying guidelines and priorities in the field of universal access to electronic communication services, which cancels and replaces the decree issued 2020, proposes fundamental improvements to the previous project to make a qualitative leap in the implementation of universal access programs.

He explained that among the advantages of the decree is allowing some of the objectives of the five-year sectoral strategy for universal access to be updated during its term of office through a report submitted by the minister in charge of electronic communications with the minister of finance to the Council of Ministers.

He added that after the approval of the Council on this update, the new objectives are included in the fifth sectoral strategy, programmed and approved its financing plan, and the decree also aims at further cooperation between the ministry in charge of electronic communications and the regulatory authority to implement universal access programs to electronic communication services.

The Minister noted the project to cover the border areas (which covered more than 200 villages), which was launched by His Excellency the President of the Republic on the anniversary of the last Independence Day in Kaedi, where all four tracks of the project were completed on July 26, and the work began in a balanced manner.

Commenting on the question regarding the internet shutdown, the Minister expressed his hope for the speedy return of this service in the near future.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More