GOVT SAYS IT WILL SUPPORT ICT SERVICES

Government through Ministry of Information, Tourism and Culture has assured the graduating students of the 2014 Bachelor of Computer Science Class at Chancellor College (CHANCO), that it is doing all it can to promote Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the country.

Ministry of Information Principal Secretary Chimwemwe Banda who represented Vice President Saulosi Chilima, made the remarks on Friday at the Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe when she presided over the 2014 Chanco Computer Science Symposium.

Banda said that there are so many ICT related initiatives that government is bankrolling in the country citing the tele-centres which are linking the rural masses to information and communication technologies.

She also pointed out the recent project on the migration of analogue to digital which is being facilitated by MACRA and the Ministry of Information, Tourism and Culture.

The symposium which is under the theme “Bridging the Information Communication Technology Gap in Malawi” Banda said that it is indeed relevant to the occasion considering the importance that the Malawi Government places on ICT.

Regarding the information gap that exists due to the illiteracy levels in some quarters of the country, Banda applauded the students in the ICT World for providing a possible solution to the population that cannot understand English regarding web content by developing a platform capable of translating English to Chichewa.

“Malawi, like most developing nations, requires massive investment in this vital sector in order to extend affordability and access to many Malawians,” said Banda.

She therefore called on several organisations in the country to integrate technology-driven approaches into their programs so as to maximize their impact.

She also said that the 2014 Chanco graduating class of Computer Science is the right kind of investment because education is the currency of the information age.

Banda finally urged the students to use the knowledge they have acquired during the four years of their study in the classroom and use it in the industry to contribute to the upliftment of this country.