MACRA SET TO LAUNCH FIRST-EVER ICT ASSEMBLING CENTER

MALAWI: The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) says plans to launch the first-ever ICT assembling center are at an advanced stage.

Speaking on Thursday after Parliamentary Committee on Media and Communications visited Nkhotakokota Secondary Schools to appreciate the progress on the connect a school project which government intends to launch in the next fiscal year MACRA’s Director-General, Daudi Suleman, said if this happens the cost of buying ICT Gadgets will be reduced by 50% hence increasing the population of people owning the gadgets and improve their lives technologically.

“The cost of accessing devices in Malawi is very high and it has created the digital gap, that digital gap can be fixed in by having people accessing devices on a cheaper price, one of contributing factor to that is that we import smart mobile phone as the whole package, through our strategical plans we are exploring a way of establishing assembling plant through a partnership with technical colleges in Malawi and this will help to cut the cost of smartphones in Malawi and this means we will see a lot of people having access to smart digital devices,” Suleman said

Suleman added that connecting a school project will help many people to have access to the internet and at a short distance than that of the telecentre of which close to 900 schools will benefit in the first phase and 9000 schools are intended to be connected in 5 years.

On his part, the parliamentary committee chairperson on Media and Communications Abu Nariwa said Macra’s intention to launch an ICT assembling center is welcomed and that as parliament they will put all effort to make sure that all plans to advance ICT services in Malawi are supported. Nariwa added that they are satisfied with the progress of establishing connect a school project.

“We are impressed, having visited Nkhotakota Secondary school to see a connect school project which macra has initiated we are hopeful that this will be so fruitful considering that in alignment with vision 2063, ICT is one of the pillars and that the plan to launch first-ever assembling center is very welcomed and we wish this could be here yesterday, we will be happy to this materialized,” Nariwa said.

Among other places visited to appreciate success stories and challenges are Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Lilongwe studios, African Bible College radio and TV, Zodiak Broadcasting Station, and Tinveni Child support and youth Media.