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.

 

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :