ICT key to attaining Malawi 2063—NPC
The National Planning Commission (NPC) has emphasised the need for Malawians to embrace use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in scaling up strides towards national economic development.
NPC Director General Thomas Munthali said improving agriculture productivity, ensuring efficiency in public services delivery, increasing industry and business competitiveness, and creating new sources of employment require use of new technologies.
He was speaking at the International ICT Expo organised by the ICT Association of Malawi (Ictam) in Lilongwe.
Munthali said, for instance, studies show that ICT adoption in agriculture can increase farmers’ earnings from $1,800 to $2,250 within five years.
He further said an analysis by NPC shows that embracing e-health services delivery systems can increase life expectancy, among other things.
He said e-commerce has also become a key factor in necessitating trade effectiveness.
“We can [also] reduce trade compliance costs and time for transacting by 37 percent and 31 percent respectively within five years. We can also double ICT services exports to four percent of total exports, while creating 50,000 new jobs annually in digitally traded services,” Munthali said.
But Sparc Systems Limited Managing Director Wisely Phiri urged that the industry is not receiving the necessary support from the government.
Phiri said tax weavers on ICT-related projects could help in quick growth of the sector.
“The government should create deliberate policies to promote ICT investments and help private companies that are exposing the skills that the country has in ICT.
“This will enable the country to export skilled labour which can easily be done from ICT and promote the digital economy and enable the country to create the much-needed forex,” Phiri said.
