Minister of Information and Digitalisation Moses Kunkuyu has described the establishment of the Muuni Fund as an indication of government’s commitment to transforming Malawi into a digital economy.

He made the remarks today at the Muuni Innovation Expo at Bingu Convention Centre in Lilongwe where the Muuni Fund's top 20 regional finalist innovators were also showcasing their innovations in the five critical areas of Agriculture, Banking and Financial Services, Health and Environment, and ICT and Digital Services.

Kunkuyu said the innovations displayed at the expo show that Malawi has brilliant minds who are offering solutions to the challenges in the country.

“Looking at the innovations that have been showcased today, it is clear that we have brilliant minds in Malawi and President Chakwera’s dream of turning this economy into an inclusive digital economy is really bearing fruits,” he said.

He futher said that government will support the innovations to be implemented by the MDAs. He also urged the private sector to support the innovators.

Secretary for Information and Digitalisation, Baldwin Chiyamwaka stated that the Muuni Fund is critical to the Ministry’s implementation of the Digital Economy Strategy and the National Digital Policy.

“We have the Digital Economy Strategy and National Digital Policy, in order for to implement them, you need programs and activities or projects. Without these, the policy becomes stale and empty. These are the wheels for the policy implementation.” He said.

He also urged private sector investors to support innovations, stating that the funding is crucial for their development and large-scale application.

Director General for the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), Daudi Suleman said the Fund catalyses Malawi’s participation in the digitally driven global village undergoing the fourth industrial revolution characterised by growing digital economies.

He described the implementation of the fund as a journey towards creating a knowledge-based digital economy, which will accelerate innovative ideas to tangible results and pull in investors to support the innovators.

The Muuni Fund is an ICT Research and Innovation Fund under MACRA. It was launched on the 14th of July last year by the Minister of Information and Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu.

President Lazarus Chakwera has called on members of the Southern Confederation of Agriculture Union (SACAU) to step up and protect farmers in the region to ensure that they are resilient from shocks associated with climate change.

The president made the call, during the opening of a two-day Annual general conference of SACAU in Lilongwe.

President Chakwera, reiterated the importance of Agriculture in the country's economy, saying it is not only a source of livelihood for majority of Malawians but also the leading engine for forex

"We are hosting this conference as an expression of our desire to bring all Agriculture interests and partnerships in the world to bear on our pursuit of prosperity of our farmers,” said Chakwera

“Farmers are the heart of this sector, therefore their resilience and productivity are crucial for our nations" prosperity, "the President added.

President Chakwera said Malawi is committed to work with SACAU in advancing the common goal of building a more resilient agriculture sector that benefits all members.

Delivering his keynote speech, Chief Executive Officer for SACAU Ishmael Sunga, highlighted the need for members to revitalise the agricultural sector by among other things, harnessing the digital technology, robust investment in the agriculture sector.

According to Sunga, member states can achieve high agricultural prosperity and productivity if they collectively agree to invest in the youth agri-entrepreneurship.

The Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) is a regional farmer's organisation representing the common interests of organised agriculture in the Southern African Development Community countries.

It currently has 19 member organisations, from 12 countries in Southern Africa.

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