Vice President Dr Jane Ansah has pledged to confront long-standing inefficiencies in Malawi’s public service, saying government is committed to strengthening oversight and accountability through digital transformation.

Speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday at the launch of the Public Sector Reforms Information Management System (PSRIMS), Dr Ansah described the new platform as a breakthrough in how reform activities will be monitored and coordinated across ministries and departments.

“This system ends the old era. It is a decisive step forward in the digitalisation of reforms management and a tool that will help fix our broken systems,” she said.

The Vice President noted that Malawi’s public sector has for years faced criticism for slow service delivery, poor record-keeping and weak responsiveness to citizens’ needs. 

She said PSRIMS is designed to help reverse these trends by providing real-time access to data and enabling better tracking of government commitments.

“For years, citizens have experienced delays, inconsistent service and limited transparency. PSRIMS is designed to ensure no one is left behind, allowing both government and the public to track progress,” she added.

Dr Ansah emphasised that the success of the platform will depend on the willingness of ministries, departments and agencies to embrace a culture of accountability.

“We must reform ourselves in order to reform the system. This tool requires commitment and discipline across all MDAs,” she said.

Public Sector Reforms Management Secretary Luckie Sikwese explained that the new web-based system replaces labour-intensive manual tools that often slowed reporting and created administrative challenges. 

He said PSRIMS will streamline data management, reduce physical submissions and give institutions a central dashboard for monitoring progress.

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Chika Charles Aniekwe, whose organisation is supporting the initiative, said the platform has the potential to unlock bottlenecks that have long undermined reform efforts.

“It is a public asset with the potential to significantly accelerate transformation across the public service,” he said.

Government expects PSRIMS to serve as a unified platform for tracking reform outcomes, improving transparency and driving efficiency across Malawi’s public service.