Cabinet directive may resolve e- visa, IFMIS dispute
LOBAMBA – A Cabinet decision to transfer all ICT related projects to the control of the ICT Ministry, may be a step towards resolving an impasse into the e-visa dispute involving millions of Emalangeni.
Cabinet issued recently that the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), should be the one responsible for the implementation of ICT related projects.
This, it was said, would do away with duplication of duty and give clear direction on the particular project.
The directive came at a time when one of such projects was engrossed in a dispute over procurement procedures.
The tender was awarded to Crypto Technology (Pty) Ltd which is owned by Minerals Management Board Chairperson Prince Guduza and Khandlela Mdluli. At one time, Parliament debated the project intensely while trying to determine whether the project was to be spearheaded by the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Ministry of Finance.
However, this is not the only ICT related project surrounded by controversy as the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), was also marred by controversy at its tender stage.
Help
The project is scheduled to cost E60 million and will help the State in that all government stakeholders will rely on a single data source, especially in payroll management.
Principal Secretary of ICT Phesheya Dube, confirmed that Cabinet had issued a directive by which all such projects would now be under the control of the ICT Ministry.
He said the ICT would handle such projects in conjunction with the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP).
“We are still implementing the directive.
“The RSTP has a facility for storage of any data, which is why the ministry is well positioned for this.
“This is part of government’s process to move towards e-governance.
Under
“Everything that is under e governance will now be under ICT,” he said.
The National Data Centre provides IT managed services through the provision of advanced technology infrastructure that will enable companies to outsource their ICT functions and services.
It also aids government in its e-government development and promotes digital inclusion in the country.
Meanwhile, a senior government employee who did not want to be named said the Cabinet directive may yield little success if certain people have interests in the ICT related tenders.
“If these projects are controlled by the ministry of ICT, that does not mean they will be immune from controversy because some people want to benefit from the projects.
SUrpriSed
“They will follow them all the way to ICT. You will be surprised that the IFMIS project led to the expulsion of a very senior government employee because of these vested interests in such projects,” he said.
The government employee said procurement rules had not been changed, which means there may be very little changes.
“There projects, by their nurture are very complex and very few people can understand how they operate.
“This means that the State will have to procure service providers from outside the country,” he added.
Meanwhile, the e-visa project is a civil registration project which was spearheaded by the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure that visitors do not queue for visas but can apply and be granted visas before embarking on a journey to Eswatini.
The package also includes installation of work permits, civil registration and digitalisation of birth/ death certificates, marriage certificates, IDs and passports/travel documents.
When fully installed the project
would cost about E263 million.
At one time MPs called for a full scale investigation of the circumstances around the issuance of the tender.
On the same wavelength, the IFMIS project was co-sponsored by the European Union and the Eswatini Government.
The Public Accounts Committee advised that the Ministry of Finance and that of ICT should work together on the project so that it cannot fail.