Twimepoki Mangani

Lilongwe, Mana, June 25:  Ministry of Information and Digitalization Principal Secretary, Baldwin Chiyamwaka, has commended the Department of E-Government for its pivotal role as a key technical component within the ministry.

Chiyamwaka made the remarks Tuesday during a familiarization tour to the Department of E-Government, emphasizing the ministry's commitment to delivering transparent and accessible government services.

He highlighted the importance of surpassing global benchmarks in digital governance and urged for innovative approaches.

Chiyamwaka stressed that, as the world increasingly digitalizes, government services must adopt trends in infrastructure development and digital inclusivity.

"We are, currently, reviewing various ministry projects, including the Last Mile Project, which involves installing towers in underserved areas lacking digital and electrical services. Presently, 32 towers are operational, with more underway. Additionally, progress continues on the Fiber Network Project implemented by ESCOM," he stated.

Chiyamwaka also hailed the National ICT College, a training institution for government personnel that equips Malawian youth with essential skills.

He expressed satisfaction with the progress toward digitalizing government services, emphasizing its impact across multiple sectors.

"Our objective is to make government services accessible at people's fingertips, in their homes, and wherever they are, as many currently travel long distances to access these services.

"Institutions under the ministry, such as MACRA, are supporting curriculum reviews aimed at enhancing digital literacy from primary to tertiary levels by 2063," he said.

Chiyamwaka reaffirmed that Malawi's digital initiatives are progressing well, citing ongoing projects under the Digital Malawi Project.

Director for E-Government, Patrick Machika, stressed the necessity of digitalizing government systems and provided updates on completion timelines for ongoing projects.

"Not all government systems are digitalized; it is not just about having electronic versions but transforming entire workflows digitally, which demands significant resources. We have already digitalized some systems, such as the E-service portal that consolidates various services onto one platform, enhancing efficiency, including in the administrator general's section," Machika explained.

Department of E-Government unveiled progress reports on several projects, including the data Centre set to enhance data reliability across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by its completion date of August 31, 2024.

They also presented updates on the Government Wide Area network and connectivity, revealing successful links to 126 MDAs as of December 2022, including key sites like Parliament and Capital Hill.