Malawi set to launch National ID – VP Chilima

In what can be described as walking the talk on public sector reforms, the Malawi government is set to launch the much awaited National Identity Cards – 12 years after such attempts by previous regimes.

Vice President Saulos Chilima,
Vice President Saulos Chiplima: We are dine with the first phase
National ID: Sample
National ID: Sample

Speaking in an interview with Zodiak radio, Vice President Saulos Chilima, who chairs the reforms commission, said the first 6,200 cards which were meant for proof of concept are ready for distribution.

“We are done with the first phase in which we registered the President, Cabinet Ministers, MPs, journalists, and citizens in selected areas across the country. This was part of piloting the project. In other words, we are saying the project has started and any day His Excellency the President will launch the project,” said Chilima.

Malawi was the only country without the ID card in southern Africa and made it difficult for its citizens to prove their citizenship as well as access some social services from government and the private sector.

Among others, the cards will also be used to enhance national security and biometric authentication because to ensure national census, the central registration database will provide near-real time data about the adult population and its distribution.

For improved service delivery, the c can be accessible to other sectors, such as, banks in the financial sector and can be used an ATM.

The card will also offer government a wide range of solutions in as far as improving service delivery is concerned like Internal administrative systems such as government payroll which can be linked to the ID, thereby completely eliminating ghost workers, consolidating biometric systems into one identity across all MDAs.

In the interview, Chilima also appealed to Malawians to embrace the reforms, saying it is the only remedy the country has if development is to continue.

“Let us change as a people and realise that time is not on our side. If we can’t reform for ourselves, then let us implement this for the next generation,” he said.

On the bloated civil service, Chilima said retrenching people will not be the ideal solution because it will worsen unemployment but said government will maintain the freeze on hiring people while reallocating others to other sectors.

The veep gave the example of drivers who appear to be many than the vehicles themselves in the public sector.

“These were recruited by someone. They didn’t just come here. So the solution is not to expel them at one go but identify those who can be trained to become primary school teachers or Agriculture extension workers as long as we manage the process smoothly in the first phase,” said Chilima.

By using a similar model, the reforms have successfully reduced the number of PSs from 96 before the reforms to 26 by maintaining the hiring freeze while making sure that those who have retired pack up and go. Four more PSs are expected to retire before February 2017.

He then appealed to some authorities in the civil service to avoid indulging in nepotism or favouritism, stressing that professionalism should be adhered to if the public sector is to tick.

The Vice President, well known for being a workaholic and time keeper, also highlighted a number of successes in the reforms exercise promising that failure is not option because, he said, reforms are crucial for Malawi as it stands.

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HE the Life President Mfuti Kasinja?
HE the Life President Mfuti Kasinja?
7 years ago

zaubwana tizimanganapo opanda zifukwa. mmaiko ena monga joni ndi uganda, national id imawapatsa anthu ukapolo.

hhhhhh
hhhhhh
7 years ago

zochitsilu zokhazokha mwasowa chochita kodi dalako muthalika akutani uko adapitako

Nabetha
Nabetha
7 years ago

So what will happen when this identity card has reached its expiry date? I’m sure that the situation will be similar to that of the passport that has reached its expiry date. When one applies for a replacement passport, it takes the whole year for the immigration department to issue it thereby preventing the person from travelling. I have no doubt that citizens will be required to bribe the officials in order to have their identification cards issued. As part of the reform at the department of immigration, the issuing of identity cards and passports should be done in an… Read more »

Charly
7 years ago

This is bad for our country!
Control!
More money!

mercy Botolo
mercy Botolo
7 years ago

Well spoken our VP Chilima so progressive Malawi needs you God bless and the President

James
James
7 years ago

Fuck this shit!! Give us Electricity Now!!! Fuckers!!!

mampitsha
mampitsha
7 years ago

Please chonde yambana kugawa ma IDwo nthano ndatopa nazo….heeeee on the issue of drivers mpakana akhale teachers and AEDO sangalole anaimva allowance kukoma….but its a good idea coz most of them are rude and trimming can teach some of them a lesson that they are not all that important…and my messengers nawonso muwapezere kolowera

Bamba Zonke
Bamba Zonke
7 years ago

Koma mpakana ma ps mpakana 96 ma ministry ake omwewo. Koma Malawians saganiza bwinodi!

Advisor
Advisor
7 years ago

illegal immigrants have been playing with our immigration and population registration system for far too long, time to close the loopholes, next we should introduce a biometric passport.

Patrick Phiri
7 years ago

Does an ID card have expiry date?

mgoloso
mgoloso
7 years ago
Reply to  Patrick Phiri

Bwana VP – remove expiry date. This is neither a Passport nor a Driving License.

Zinziri
Zinziri
7 years ago
Reply to  mgoloso

I understand its not free so they want raise more dosh. How are they going to know that someone is dead ndiumbuli uli mdziko munowu.

Bongololo
Bongololo
7 years ago
Reply to  Patrick Phiri

Most countries IDs do not expire like SA ID. Lesotho ID expires. The Malawi ID should not have expiry date, it will be a loophole for selfish politicians to make money out of it. IDs are issued free of charge for the first time but there is a small fee you pay when you loose one in South Africa. An ID is such a very important document such that one can not be able to access many services without it.

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