Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Shadric Namalomba said government is banking on the success of a four-year $180 million (about K311 billion) ICT investment plan with Huawei Technology to transform public service delivery.
He said the plan would entail making the Boma Lathu data platform work for the citizens.
This emerged from discussions the minister held with Huawei executives in China last week.
Under the proposed investment, government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) would be connected through the data platform that allows citizens to access services without repeatedly submitting identical documents across institutions.
In an interview on Sunday, Namalomba said he briefed Huawei on the critical digital infrastructure, including a national data centre and portal, which the country already possesses, but services remain heavily dependent on outdated methods.
“Right now, we have the data centre, we have the portal, but our people are still being served through emails, flash drives and paper. That exposes their personal information and wastes their time. We are changing that,” he said.
The minister said reliance on informal data sharing mechanisms exposes citizens’ personal information to unnecessary risks while also delaying access to essential government services.
Currently, government is proposing a Data Sharing Regulation which is expected to be tabled before the end of the year.
The regulation, according to Namalomba, will require MDAs to route data requests through the National Data Centre, prohibit informal transfers and enforce audited agreements whenever information is shared.
Malawi Government is also upgrading the National Data Centre for artificial intelligence (AI) applications through the World Bank-funded Digital Malawi Acceleration Project.
ICT expert and social entrepreneur Arthur Muyepa in an interview said digital infrastructure much like roads and electricity is a critical enabler of economic growth.
“Therefore, this ICT investment has the potential to improve government efficiency while unlocking opportunities for businesses, innovators and young people.
“I believe the real measure of success will be whether ordinary Malawians experience better connectivity, better services, and better economic opportunities as a result,” he said.
