Minister commissions telecentres in Machinga
Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani on Thursday commissioned Namasika, Mbejere and Liwonde telecentres in Machinga to enhance socio-economic development in the district.
Speaking during the event at Liwonde Telecentre, Botomani said the connectivity in telecentres will bring the world closer to the local masses as they will be able to transact various businesses through the Internet.
“People can find markets for various goods on the Internet accessible in these telecentres. People from Machinga can now import goods through the Internet which is available now in their community,” he said.
Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (Macra) director general Godfrey Itaye said government directed his institution to take information and communication technology (ICT) activities to rural areas to boost businesses.
Itaye said Macra has two components of telecentres; the first connects schools and the other connects constituencies.
“Telecentres are also a source of employment to those who have been recruited to manage the facilities,” he added.
Machinga Likwenu legislator Bright Msaka,who is also Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, said the commissioning of the telecentres showed government’s commitment to take ICT to local people.
Traditional Authority (T/A) Sitola expressed delight with the development, saying it would help the youth to desist from bad behaviour such as sexual activities and beer drinking.
One of the beneficiaries at Namasika Telecentre, Juliet Maulana who has completed computer studies at the telecentre, said the computer knowledge she has gained will help in her accounting studies.
