The Department of Information will by June, 2018 be decentralised with District Information Officers being part of city councils.
Currently, District Information Officers do not get direct funding for their office operations unlike other district officers like youth and sports.
Speaking during a closing workshop on decentralisation held in Lumbadzi, Director of Information Gideon Munthali said all the necessary procedures and meetings are underway and by June this year Information department will be part of the local structure (council).
Munthali called for a total coordination between Technicians and DIOs as they will be working hand in hand in assisting government improve service delivery at the council.
“The year 2018 will be a loaded one with more trainings aiming at imparting skills and knowledge so that as many things happen, the members of the general public must be able to read, hear and learn the information,” Munthali said.
The Director then appealed to the Technicians and DIOs to work as people of the same department so that decentralisation should be meaningful to them and the rest of the staff members of the Department of Information.
A District Information Officer’s representative at the workshop, Karonga DIO Andrew Mkonda Banda, commended the Department for the decentralisation step it has taken saying Information Officers at the District level do not perform well because of lack of resources.
He said the officers are ready and committed to be implementing activities for the Ministry as soon as the department is devolved commending the training workshops that have already started as eye opener to them with a hope that if all equipment and resources are given, they shall perform to their best knowledge.
The four day training workshop was organised with funding from the Government of Malawi.
