Deposit Protection Fund of Uganda (DPF) holds strategic engagement with National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U)

The Deposit Protection Fund of Uganda (DPF) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Julia Clare Olima Oyet (Mrs.) along with the DPF management team hosted the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U) management team led by the Executive Director, Mr. Hatwib Mugasa to a strategic engagement on December 15, 2023. Other members of the NITA-U management team were Mr. Richard Obita (Director Planning, Research and Development) and Ms. Stella Alibateese (National Director – Personal Data Protection Office). The DPF team was represented by Ms. Angela Kiryabwire Kanyima (Director Legal & Board Secretariate), Mr. Balaam Ssempala (Director Information Technology), Mr. Patrick O. Ezaga (Director Communications), Ms. Joan Agaba (DPF Assistant Manager Operations) and Ms. Linda B. Mukholi (DPF Assistant Manager I.T Audit).

The DPF CEO Dr. Julia Oyet welcomed the NITA-U Executive Director and management team to the engagement and gave a brief background of the Fund’s establishment and mandate. Dr. Julia Oyet informed the NITA-U team that deposit insurance targets the less sophisticated depositors and that the current limit is UGX 10million covering 98% of the depositors of Contributing Institutions. Furthermore, she shared updates on the projects of the Fund such as public awareness initiatives, the development of the Depositor Payout and Premium Management System (DPPMS), an IT system that was developed to create efficiency in managing billing of premiums to the Contributing Institutions as well as paying out depositors should a Contributing Institution get closed for liquidation. Dr. Julia Oyet gave a brief about the Single Customer View project to which she encouraged the NITA-U management team to ensure that their personal details and National Identification Number are up to date with their respective Contributing Institutions because these are the details the Fund will require for a payout.

Mr. Hatwib Mugasa, the Executive Director NITA-U appreciated DPF for the initiative of the engagement stating that being government entities, it is indeed imperative to have synergies that will lead to the development of the country. Mr. Mugasa commended Dr. Julia Oyet for the milestones the Fund has achieved since its operationalization and the technological developments it has undertaken to smoothen its operations. Mr. Mugasa also shared a brief background of the establishment of NITA-U and its operations which include but are not limited to technology development, regulation of the IT industry, supervision of IT services and infrastructure, data protection, advising government on IT procurements, hosting the government cloud and data centre, IT security through the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), internet provision across the country and provision of software solutions to government, among others.

Ms. Stella Alibateese noted that the Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO) was established in 2021 and is an independent government office currently being hosted by NITA-U. She highlighted that the office’s mandate is to ensure compliance in data protection, oversee the implementation of the Data Protection Act, create awareness on data protection, risk assessment as well as carry out investigations on data breaches.

Dr. Julia Oyet appreciated the NITA-U Management team for honoring the invitation to the engagement and committed that being a regulator in the IT sector charged with advising government on IT procurements and systems, there is indeed room for more collaborations in that area with DPF as well any other IT related service.

Mr. Mugasa expressed profound appreciation to DPF for being very good customer since it uses the internet services. He concluded by committing that the Fund would have a dedicated resource in NITA-U so as to smoothen the engagements and execution of services when required.

In conclusion, the parties agreed to work on modalities that will culminate into entering into a Memorandum of Understanding to work closely on issues related to verification of depositor information.