New passport systems supplier speaks out: Says no relationship with the Chakweras or MCP
The company that is supplying new passport systems to the Department of Immigration, E-Tech Systems, has spoken out on how it got the contract underlining that it does not have any relationship with President Lazarus Chakwera, his son Pastor Nick Chakwera or the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
In a recent exclusive interview, E-Tech Systems chief executive officer Raphael Msowoya said his company was awarded the contract on merit after demonstrating capacity to provide a solution at a time when some unscrupulous people and hackers were demanding a ransom running into billions of Kwacha from government.
The allegation about the connection with the Chakweras and MCP came about after a photo was shared on social media showing Msowoya together with MCP candidate for the vice presidency Vitumbiko Mumba, Nick Chakwera and a Serbian government official in Serbia.
However, Msowoya has underlined that the meeting with them in Serbia was a mere coincidence, saying they went there on a private trip which was unrelated to his trip.
“First of all the sole mandate of issuing and printing passports rests with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services (DoICS). E-Tech Systems’ current agreement with DoICS does not mandate us to print passports or run the passport printery on behalf of DoICS. Our role is to provide a passport issuance system solution which is integrated to a wide number of support services and key components including the printing module,” he said.
He added that the equipment he supplied on behalf of Malawi government has a capacity to print 270 passports per hour each, emphasizing that their deliverables are to provide the solution, the actual printing is done by the Department.
On the contract price with government which reports indicates that its K896 million, Msowoya said: “The contract price was tied to deliverables which I cannot discuss with press and the main deliverable was to be able to print a passport within 21 days which we did.”
He added that the contract amount for the size of the work they are doing is far much reasonable compared to what others charge in the internationally.
“There are Malawians who were clamoring for a foreign business which is very expensive to just recover locked data without providing a new Passport Issuance System solution,” he said.
Msowoya also called on Malawi to understand that his company, against all odds, has managed to provide a solution the quickest possible at a time of crisis.
“What you have to know is E-Tech systems was established in 2010 with sole director. E-Tech systems is a business that always supports the government of the day and when we have an opportunity to help wherever possible we usually help with our expertise.
“Malawi as far as Passport Issuance System was on its knees and we as Malawians we have a responsibility to help. You as Journalists do you know how many died in a process of waiting for passport to travel to india and other countries whilst some companies/hackers were demanding a ransom from Government? And how many are grateful to access the passport to access medical treatment? Every person is entitled to own opinion but what you have to know is we were awarded own merit after the tasked Technical team trusted us with our expertise,” he asked.
Asked how, as a software company, he managed to get a printing contract, Msowoya said E-Tech Systems is a solution integration company.
“Most companies you see or know are that claim to be Passport Printers are just integrators and these integrators works with Passport printer Manufacture[r] who mostly don’t work with Government directly but through Integrators like E-Tech systems like any other Integrators you know.
“Most companies buy the printer from Manufacture[r] and brand them as their own. Being an integrator, we bought the Printers directly from Manufacture[r] of the printers on behalf of Malawi Government at no profit just to save this country you can verify that information,” he said.
The soft spoken Msowoya has since called on Malawians to love their country and stand together to fight the common enemy in our midst.
“We are a sovereign state able to make our own decisions. It’s very unfortunate that when a foreigner gets such a contract Malawians remain silent. We have a lot of multi-billion contracts which have been awarded on single sourcing or restricted tendering no one talks because the suppliers are foreign companies but since this have been resolved by a Malawian company, we have so much problems.
“Let us not be used by few greedy individuals who are pushing their own agenda to fill their own pockets and tarnish our own country and hold this country at ransom. Malawi is our home we have nowhere else we call home other than our own Malawi. Tiyeni tileke kuzionela pansi (let’s stop looking down upon ourselves),” he said.
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