1.
INTRODUCTION
The Malawi Government cognisant of the great potential of knowledge
based economy as an engine of growth for the country’s socio-economic
development has placed ICT as a priority sector both in the short to medium
term Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) and Malawi Growth and Development
Strategy (MGDS) II and the long-term Malawi Vision 2020. In order to
provide national guidance in the development and use of ICT, government has developed a
National ICT Policy.
The 2013 approved National ICT Policy provides “a framework for deployment, exploitation and
development of ICT to support the process of accelerated socio-economic development in
Malawi.” Further, the policy aims to unravel strategic leadership to “provide direction for
systematic ICT program development, implementation, monitoring and review through a
consolidated ICT approach for the mobilization, allocation and utilization of resources that will
realize institutional, community, sector and national development policies and strategies.” In its
implementation strategy, the policy provides for a restructured quasi-state institution called
Malawi Information Technology Agency (MITA) to effect the realization of knowledge based
economy through the implementation of the National ICT Master Plan.
1.1 The National ICT Policy
The National ICT Policy provides for ten (10) priority areas. These are clustered in only four
main Strategic Pillars:
1) Innovation and Human Capital Development
2) ICT Industry Development and E-Business
3) ICT Infrastructure Development
4) E-Government Services and Growth Sectors Development
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