By Evance Chisiano
Blantyre, July 15: Minister of Information and Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu on Monday opened Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Open Week with the first open day being held at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre.
During the day, the regulatory authority interacted with ministry officials, current licensees, prospective licensees, consumers and other players in the digital and telecommunication industry to highlight MACRA’s mandate and key development projects.
Speaking at the event, Kunkuyu said MACRA’s Open Week was dedicated to the players in the digital and telecommunication sector to create interactive space and also share ideas that should contribute to development of the industry.
Within the Open Week, MACRA will hold similar open days in Lilongwe and Mzuzu and pledged to roll it down to communities to get feedback from the consumers who use digital and communication services from other providers which are regulated by MACRA.
Kunkuyu, therefore, said the open week was crucial as it will help in fostering vibrant ICT to drive Malawi socio-economic development.
He encouraged those that patronized the open day to share with MACRA areas requiring improvement for the sake of effective collaboration in the telecommunication sector.
“In line with Malawi 2063, MACRA is doing a lot in the rural areas such as the introduction of Connect-A-School Project in various public education institutions,” he said, adding that a number of ICT labs are being constructed in community day secondary schools to promote use of ICT services and the provision of Wi-Fi internet connectivity.
“Under the Universal Service Fund, MACRA will enhance access to broadband and ICT in public education institutions and this will eventually address internet connectivity gaps,” he added.
During the event, MACRA and players in the telecommunication sector discussed a number of areas including currier service in Malawi, Malawi Postal Services recent retrenchment and suspension of coach services, update in Connect-A-School Project, issues to do with Electronic Transaction and Cyber Security Act and Data Protection Act.
Kunkuyu disclosed that MACRA is also looking forward to the other Bill of which when it becomes a law will help to create stable legal framework in the digital and telecommunication sector observing that sanity in the digital and telecommunication sector will only come if there will be regulations.
MACRA Director General, Daudi Suleman said MACRA will continue with the open days to enhance interaction with players in the digital and telecommunication sector and consumers so that they should understand the regulators mandate and laws that govern MACRA.
“MACRA works within the laws. There are some pieces of legislation that also need a lot of awareness and knowledge. MACRA will continue to engage a wide range of stakeholders to sensetise them on a number of Acts so that they should understand better the regulatory authority,” Daudi said.
