The Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) and the Ministry of Information and Digitalization’s Department of E-Government held a sensitization meeting in Mwanza District with Government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) where all stakeholders and beneficiaries were briefed on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Connectivity Initiative and other related activities.
The Commission in collaboration with the E-Government Department is implementing the PPP Connectivity initiative under the Digital Malawi Project (DIGMAP) for the next 10 years with funding from the World Bank.
The PPP Connectivity initiative aims to provide reliable internet connectivity services through high-speed optic fiber cables to MDAs including District Commissioners’ offices, health, education, and agriculture institutions, among others.
Speaking during the meeting, DIGMAP Project Liaison Officer Ann Liabunya said the PPP Connectivity initiative aims to improve communication and public service delivery in public institutions.
“The Malawi Government is connecting over 500 public institutions in its quest of expediting the digitization drive agenda for effective public service delivery in line with the Malawi 2063 Implementation Plan 1 (MIP1)”, said Liabunya.
The E-Government Department Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Officer Chisomo Kamata in support, said the connectivity is segmented into three networks: BOMA for all civil servants, NZIKA for all users, and GUEST for all visitors.
Kamata added: “To access the BOMA network, all civil servants will use their employment identification number or official Government email addresses together with their secure passwords”.
“On the other hand, all NZIKA and GUEST users will be issued one-time passwords to access the networks as well as to access the government domain for online services”.
He then highlighted the importance of using the government email address system since it gives civil servants access to a wide range of information as well as the Government Wide Area Network (GWAN) services.
“It is the desire of government that every government employee should adopt the government-mandated official email account since it is more secure than other internet-based emails, it leaves an official trail and raises the profile of government among various publics”, said Kamata.
In his remarks, Mwanza District Commission Senior Systems Analyst Fellious Sibale hailed the Government for initiating the PPP Connectivity initiative.
“It is a welcome development as it will improve the means of communication among public Institutions”, said Sibale.
He then urged the government team to expedite the installation activities for the connectivity in the district so that all emerging issues such as maintenance and faults are immediately tackled before the closure of the Digital Malawi Project in June 2024.
The PPPC in collaboration with the E-Government Department is also conducting sensitization meetings in all district councils across the country.
