By: Lloyd M’bwana
In a bid to improve work efficient and keep in touch with modern technology of transmitting information to the general public, the Chinese government has donated office equipment to Malawi parliament worthy US$100,000.
The donation comes barely a month after deputy chairperson of China National Congress visited the Malawi Parliament with the aim of appreciating his government role has played to the improvement Malawi’s legislative arm of government.
Office equipment China has powered the country’s Parliament including computers, screen printers, telephone recorders and hand set among others which might benefit also the media gallery for efficiency of work.
Speaking in an interview with The Maravi Post on Friday, January 22 at Parliament building in the capital Lilongwe, after receiving the equipment, The Speaker Richard Msowoya lauded the Chinese government for the timely intervention saying his office was using old machines which failed to beat the modern technology.
Speaker Msowoya observed that Parliament was in dire need of modern technology equipment to catch up with the world in transmitting quality information on Parliamentary deliberation to the general public in good time.
“The Parliament build might be new but all along we have been using old equipment which sometimes has been giving us raw deal of information to the general public on our deliberations. Just imagine the Hanzad section is still using tapes which aren’t a match to the modern world of transmitting information to an appropriate usage by the general public.
“The donation therefore will change the working condition of our staff members not only that but also some of the equipment might be shared to media gallery where it has been run without proper equipment during parliamentary sessions. This is the reason also appealing to corporate world to emulate on what the Chinese government has done to us as these properties belong to the people of Malawi”, urges Msowoya.
The Maravi Post later caught up with Zhang Qingyang, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi who assured the continue support on various sphere of the country’s needs for lives improvement through infrastructure developments.
Ambassador Qingyang said the donation was part of the bilateral relationship Malawi was in with China whereby its arm of government including Parliament needed much support for the significant role it plays to the citizens for laws formulations among others.
“We will continue helping Malawi in various forms of need including infrastructure development specifically on arms and government agencies that help the citizens of their wellbeing. This is part of the bilateral relationship established between the two countries”, delighted Qingyang.
Since 2007 when Malawi government terminated its relationship with Taiwan to China, the country has benefited from the bilateral relationship in various infrastructure developments with notable ones including Malawi Parliament, Malawi Science and Technology University (MUST), Bingu Stadium, roads network among others.
