Electoral Commission sell data on Malawi voters to BSystem: 5,000 national IDs ready by August
Cash strapped Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC)has without seeking consent from Malawian voters, traded the data of the electoral roll to Ghanaian company registered in the country as BSytems which will install its machines in commercial banks for easy identifications.
Banks will verify clients voter registration card with the machine.
MEC chief elections officier Willie Kalonga confirmed the deal, saying it is a fund raising venture after the poll body is struggling with lack of funding from Treasury.
He said MEC will give BSystem server their data copy base of Malawian registered voters which will be a backup incase of the electoral body system crashes.
Kalonga could not disclose how much MEC will be making per month but pointed out they have entered into contractual agreement with BSystem after the lawyers gave them a go ahead.
Meanwhile, the National Registration Bureau (NRB) will from June kick-start the first phase of the production and issuance of national identity cards in the sampled 11 districts across the country.
Elvis Salagi, Chief Registration Officer for Population at NRB revealed that the pilot exercise is expected to last two months, targeting 5,000 Malawians aged 16 and above.
He said NRB sampled a few villages in 11 districts to help test their software and equipment.
“We want to learn from the sampled population so that we do all the necessary modifications in readiness for the mass registration that is scheduled to take place in 2017,” Salagi said.
The registration and issuance of National ID’s is one of the priority areas of Government under the current Public Service Reform Program.
The National Registration Bureau (NRB) was officially set up in 2007 in line with the National Registration Act No. 13 of 2010. The bureau is mandated to establish, implement, coordinate, manage and maintain the National Registration Information System (NRIS) for Malawi.
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I see backward and primitive thinking in this reporter, the so called green muheya. MEC is actually being innovative and entrepreneurial . What MEC is doing must be commended and encouraged . I would encourage muheya to meet Henry kachaje for some schooling . Maybe the retrogressive thinking can be changed. Malawi cannot progress with the thinking if this reporter!
That’s the best way to go MEC. Don’t just rely on government funding. Congrats Mbendera for thinking outside the box. Banks are currently using MEC voter ID cards for free and in the process making astronomical profits. MEC should indeed get something from this
WHY MEC NOT TO ASK B4 SELLING THE DATA?
Magalimoto mwagulutsanso mwatsala ndi chani?