By Chisomo Phiri
The Government of Malawi has secured a significant grant of $115 million (approximately K199 billion) from the World Bank to drive transformation in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
This was announced by Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Digitalisation, Baldwin Samuel Chiyamwaka, on Wednesday in Lilongwe during MACRA’s open day.
Chiyamwaka revealed that the government has also received $10,000 from the UNDP and has allocated K8 billion to complete the final phase of fibre works.
He emphasized the need for collective effort to harness the power of technology for Malawi’s socioeconomic development.
“The government is investing heavily in the ICT sector because it is a critical enabler of the Malawi 2063 agenda,” he said.
“We must work together to ensure that we maximize the potential of technology to drive growth and development in our country,” added Chiyamwaka.
On his part,MACRA Acting Director of Postal Services,Burnet Namacha,highlighted the importance of stakeholder participation in the communication sector.
“We need all stakeholders to actively engage with us to share ideas on how we can grow the sector and ensure that it benefits all Malawians,” he said.
MACRA’s open day, which began in Blantyre on July 15, 2024, will conclude in Mzuzu next week.
The event aims to bring together stakeholders in the communication sector to share ideas and explore ways to drive growth and development in the sector.