TechnoBrain, a company contracted for the supply and installation of an electronic visa issuance system, is yet to remit over $21 million (K36.7 billion) in e-visa fees to the Malawi Government.
Homeland Security Minister Ken Zikhale Ng’oma confirmed the development.
“Apart from the visa contract, TechnoBrain has another fingerprint contract with the Malawi Police Service.
“It also had the passport contract, which was terminated by the Attorney General. All these are worth millions of dollars; they have to remit that money,” Zikhale Ng’oma said.
He advised The Daily Times to contact Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda for more details on the matter.
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When contacted, Chakaka Nyirenda said he had given the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services his opinion on the matter.
“I have already given the Department of Immigration my opinion on the matter,” Chakaka Nyirenda said.
Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu, who is also government spokesperson, confirmed separately that the contract was from August 21 2018 to August 21 2021.
“That period expired and we have been engaging technologists for the release and remittance of the said money they [the contractors] have been retaining. Further, they have to immediately hand over the Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) system to us as the contract period expired long ago,” Kunkuyu said.
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According to the contract for the electronic visa issuance system, it was established under a BOT model between the Government of Malawi, represented by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, and TechnoBrain Global FZE.
The agreement, signed in 2018 by the then principal secretary for Home Affairs and Internal Security Samuel Madula and the then Director General for Immigration, Masauko George Medi, outlined specific responsibilities and payment structures.
Representing TechnoBrain, the contract was signed by Raghunandan Gopalakrishna, the then identity management director, and Tiwonge Chipeta Mwandira, the country operations head.
The Daily Times contacted Country Operations Head Tionge Nyirenda, one of the signatories to the contract, who said she was not competent to answer the question.
“Ask our head office,” Nyirenda said.
According to the contract, TechnoBrain was tasked with providing the system and ensuring its operational readiness.
In return, the company was to be compensated $3,824,160 over three years, with payments structured on a quarterly basis.
The fees collected from e-visas were to be directed to an escrow account at one of the banks compatible with the e-visa system.
From this account, funds were to be transferred to TechnoBrain’s bank account in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
However, it has come to light that TechnoBrain has not fulfilled its obligation to transfer the collected fees.
This shortfall has raised significant concerns about the company’s adherence to the contractual terms and the potential impact on the country’s financial health.
The contract stipulated that, at the end of the three-year BOT term, TechnoBrain would hand over the system’s source code, documentation, manuals and related materials to the Malawi Government.
Additionally, the company was expected to replace or rectify any malfunctioning equipment before the handover.
