As technology is fast growing in the country, Malawians are expected to start enjoying the fastest internet service by February 2018 courtesy of Malawi National Optic Fibre Backbone Project which government rolled out in April, 2017.
The project, a brain child of President Peter Mutharika, seeks to have digitalised and integrated government operating systems and improved quality of Information Communication and Telecommunication services (ICT).
According to Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Nicholas Dausi, Phase One of the project has so far been completed in earnest and that the project will be completed in February this year (2018).
“What is remaining now is to go out to the districts to sensitize people on usage and importance of this modern technological service to the growth of our economy,” said the minister.
Among other benefits, the project will strengthen the Integrated Financial Management Systems (IFMIS) which some public servants used to steal public funds.
Government will also easily be able to track ghost workers in the public service as it connects the country’s human resource systems which will keep up-to-date data for genuine government employees.
Once the project is completed, it is expected that Malawians will start enjoying fast and efficient internet services.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, Wang Shi Ting commended Malawi for migrating from analogue to digital technology which, he said, will offer high class internet services.
“It is high time Malawians started enjoying vibrant internet connectivity. This will bring more investors, a development that will help grow the economy as business information will be shared within few minutes,” said the Ambassador.
When successfully completed, Malawi will become the third country in Africa to be connected to the global world.
The project is being carried out by Huawei Technologies Company of the Peoples Republic of China. All the 28 districts in Malawi will be connected.
