Fibre backbone project to help Malawi smoke out ghost workers in public service
President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika has described the Malawi National fibre backbone project a timely solution in cleaning up the civil service which, has been for some time, termed home of ghost workers.
Speaking Wednesday at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe while commissioning the long awaited connectivity project, Mutharika said for decades the country has been battling with the influx of fake government workers who kept on draining public resources.
He said this will however be a thing of the past as the project will among others connect the country’s human resource systems which will keep up to date data for genuine government employees.
Said Mutharika, “Malawi will have improved delivery of services as various government offices will now be connected to an information super highway. With the fibre backbone project, we expect transformation in sectors such as national identity programme, education, health and the finance.”
The President further said, “Apart from flushing out ghost workers, Malawians will have easy access to information through the fast internet and that payments of salaries for civil servants will no longer be delayed as everything will be done with speed.”
The Malawi National Fibre Backbone Project is a brain child of President Mutharika and mainly seeks to integrate government operating systems and improve quality of service delivery.
There are high expectations that the project once finished will also strengthen the Integrated Financial Management Systems (IFMIS) which was a loophole for cash-gaters.
Furthermore, Malawians will have a chance to transact business and make payments by using the mobile phones.
Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, Wang Shi Ting commended Malawi for joining the global world in as far as information connectivity is concerned.
He said once completed, Malawi will have fast speed internet, reduce internet cost and vibrant information access by all Malawians.
“I believe that this project will bring more business to Malawi and offer numerous benefits. Soon we should be able see the introduction of E-learning, E-commerce and E-economy.
“Malawi will have improved access to the internet, increased speed of internet and an enhanced connection between Malawi and the outside world,” said Wang.
Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Nicholas Dausi said the ministry will try its level best to ensure that the project progresses.
Dausi also said it will be the role of the ministry to educate Malawians about the importance of the project.
“As directed by the President, we will go to every part of the country and conduct awareness programme on usage of internet and the significance of this project,” he said.
Malawi becomes the third country in Africa to be connected to the global world.
The projected will be implemented by the Huawei technologies company of China and will connect to all the 28 districts of the country.
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I would have expected the reporter to tell us timeline for this project and what are the actual tasks we should expect. The way the article has been written one could expect the project completed in 2063 same time for the Africa Agenda..
I totally agree with most comments about dealing with ghostworkers. Mr President is that what your technical experts advised you to say, did not you see that it was a way of making you be part of this thing. May Mr President may to know that issue of ghostworkers, is deeply entrenched in the system in which you are part of. When the issues of crediting salaries directly to civil servants started, those in the corridors of power sang the same song you are singing today. Remember how monies were syphoned in what has become to be called cashgate? those… Read more »
True, this Chinese Fibre optic project is a white elephant. By the way, how many fibre optics does Malawi need? We have seen several of them being planted but without bringing any efficiency in IT at all. I hope these projects are not being touted just to siphon money from Govt. And of Coal power plant at Kammwamba, my advice is that Government must deploy experts to Botswana to study a similar plant by the Chinese. Botswana is already crying for a substandard coal plant there. Too many breakdowns. May be, Malawi should learn a lesson or two from the… Read more »
Ma fibre optic cables ambirimbiri kodi nzachani? Komanso mukuti zithetsa nkhani ya ma ghost workers? OK, namizanani m’mene mungathere!
Kikikiki! Apa pokha ndikutsutseni Mr President. Any technogy is as good as the users, ghost workers are not created by pipo not lack of fast internet!!!!!
Kick out the thieving employees and you will have no ghost workers!
After all iyi si fibre optic network yoyamba in the country. Weve had ESCOM, MTL, Simbanet and zinazotero bring Fibre but we havent seen them resulting into faster and cheaper internet!
Apa mwangopeza mwai wotulutsirapo ndalama!! How much is your cut, 20% ?