Jack McBrams from the Platform for Investigative Journalism Malawi Engages Pastor Raphael Msowoya of E-Tech Systems
1. We are told that you have capacity issues with the printing l as you are currently printing 150 passports a day.
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.
The Equipment we supplied on behalf of Government has a capacity to print 270 Passports per hour each so you can translate on a number of hours this Equipment can print. E-Tech systems deliverables was to provide the solution the actual Printing is done by the Department.
its 540 per hour as each machine prints 270 per hour. Two more printers we bought on behalf of the Department are landing this weekend with capacity of 120 per hour each as Passport printers are not offshelf. One of the other Manufacture failed to supply within the timeframe as they needed to Manufacture the printers by the Grace of God one Manufacture provided us within shorter period after understanding Malawi Situation. Several factors were considered based on the situation Malawi was then and period to come up with a Solution.
2. Your contract is worth K896 million for 6 months meaning you’re billing the immigration department at least K6.8 million a day for printing 150 passports. How do you justify this?
ANS:
The contract price was tied to deliverables which are in the contract which i cannot discuss with press and the main deliverable was to be able to print a Passports within 21 days which we did.
The contract amount for the size of the work we are doing is far much reasonable compared to what others charge in the internationally. There are Malawians who were clamouring for a foreign business which is very expensive to just recover locked data without providing a new Passport Issuance System solution.
3. There are reports linking your company to Pastor Nick Chakwera and the MCP political establishment, hence that being the reason you were awarded that contract. What is your relationship with Pastor Nick and indeed President Chakwera and the MCP?
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.
Neither E-Tech as a business nor myself as a Director have any relationship with President Chakwera, Pastor Nick Chakwera or the MCP. E-Tech Systems 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 the government.
4. You are a software company, or your website says you are. How did you win a contract for printing passports?
Answer: 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 who mostly dont work with Government directly but through Integrators like E-Tech systems like any other Integrators you know.
Most companies buy the printer from Manufacture and brand them as their own. Being an Integrator we bought the Printers directly from Manufacture of the printers on behalf of Malawi Government at no profit just to save this country you can verify that information.
5. any further comments that you’d like to add.
Malawi has talent and patriotic people who love their country like you as demonstrated by your interest in verifying what you have heard about this contract and the printing challenges, these patriots worked in unison and saved the passport emergency situation.
One last question
Malawi should Love their country and stand together to fight the common enemy we have in our mist. We are a sovereign state able to make our own decisions. Its very very unfortunate that when an foreigners gets such a contract Malawians remain silent. We have alot of Multibillion 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 inorder to fill their own pockets and tarnish our own country and hold this country at ransom. Malawi is our home we have no where else we call home other than our own Malawi. Tiyeni tileke kuzionela pansi.
You were pictured in Serbia alongside Pastor Nick Chakwera and Vitumbiko Mumba around the time the contract was issued. Can you explain the nature of your relationship with Pastor Nick and Mumba and also the purpose of your visit to Serbia.
The meeting with them in Serbia was a mere coincidence. They went there on a private trip which was unrelated to My trip. Lets give God time he will surely reveal the truth about how I got this contract and surely it was all for his Glory.
Just putting the records straight
In addition, when we were attacked, there were so many companies that tabled their contract proposals and E-TECH was the only company that took the board decision to accept resumption of the system within 21 days🤷🏾♀
In additional Technobrain was requesting 1.6Million USD upfront to Dubai before rendering any services whilst people were suffering.