The World Bank Implementation Support Mission (ISM) for the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP) concluded its activities in Lilongwe on Friday with a wrap-up meeting with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralization (MoFEPD) to review the outcomes of the mission.

A cross-section of the meeting.

The mission was led by World Bank Task Team Leaders Tim Kelly and Paul Ndungutse and accompanied by the Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC), the lead implementing agency for DMAP. MoFEPD was represented by Deputy Director of Debt and Aid Management, Richard Kaudzu.

Speaking during the meeting, Ndungutse said the World Bank was impressed with the progress made under Components One, Two and Three of DMAP.

Ndungutse: We are impressed

He said the Bank was working to fast-track activities under Phase I of the project, particularly those considered critical to achieving key milestones.

“Project implementation is progressing well across all three components. As agreed during this mission, the focus is on advancing Phase I priority activities, particularly accelerating procurement for the deployment of 100 cell towers,” he said.

Ndungutse also highlighted key milestones achieved under the project, such as the onboarding of 14 of the 25 planned e-services from various ministries, departments and agencies onto the Bomalathu eServices Portal.

He further noted the completion of a back-end assessment of the National Registration and Identification System (NRIS) and the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems for the National Registration Bureau.

Kaudzu: Work towards meeting its timeframe

In his remarks, Kaudzu emphasized the importance of DMAP, saying the project would significantly contribute to expanding digital connectivity and access to public services by connecting 2,000 schools and 500 public institutions.

“The PPPC successfully implemented a similar project without any challenges. We are therefore optimistic that the implementation of DMAP will proceed smoothly,” he said.

He urged all stakeholders to accelerate implementation to ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated timeframe and delivers its intended benefits to Malawians.

PPPC Chief Executive Officer Arthur Nanthuru reiterated the Commission’s commitment to achieving the project milestones as stipulated in the Project Appraisal Document.

Nanthuru: We are committed

Nanthuru also expressed appreciation to the World Bank for financing the project and to all stakeholders for their continued support and contribution towards its successful implementation