Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet Janet Banda says government has achieved over 80 percent of the 2023-2025 National Action Plan (NAP) objectives on Open Government Partnerships (OGP) aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and citizen engagement.
Speaking during a validation meeting on a new NAP on OGP earmarked for inception next month, the deputy SPC said the country made strides in promoting transparency, accountability and citizen engagement, among others.
She cited the advancement of anti-corruption efforts through the enactment of the new Public Procurement and Disposal Assets Act, publication of the beneficial ownership regulations, and the enactment of the Ombudsman Amendment Act to protect whistle-blowers.
Said Banda: “Further, the Open Contracting data standards was successfully developed during this NAP and the integrated Malawi e-procurement system.
“The portal incorporates an international standard on how Malawi publishes data and documents about contracting processes for goods, works and services to increase transparency in public procurement processes.”
Other achievements, she pointed, include the establishment and operationalisation of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties along with the appointment of the Registrar of Political Parties to actualise transparency and accountability of political parties and campaign financing as provided under the Political Parties Act of 2018.
“We are all aware that this act though enacted in 2018, was just kept on the shelf. We were able, during the implementation of the just expired NAP to ensure that this Act sees the light of the day,” said Banda, further citing the operationalisation of a mining portal that allows people to access information on mining licences in the Natural Resources Act.
She has since called for increased effort in the implementation of the new NAP whose focus will be anti-corruption, natural resources, fiscal openness, digital governance, open Parliament and environment and climate.
“The OGP NAP is a living document. Its true value will be realised, not in this room today, but in how we work together to complement it’s commitments. I would, therefore, urge stakeholders to take full ownership of this NAP. We need to move from commitment to action,” said Banda.
In his remarks, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation programmes officer Dennis Mwafulirwa said while achieving over 80 percent of commitment is a big milestone, there is need to do more to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement.
The new NAP, to be launched in May, will succeed the 2023-2025 NAP which has expired and was a foundation for the new NAP.
OGP is an international grouping of about 80 countries that work on implementing open government commitments to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in policy making. Malawi has been a member since 2013.
