BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE – Parliament should establish a dedicated Chief Information Officer (CIO) position to strengthen its digital capabilities, while the Prime Minister’s Office should formally adopt a new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) strategy from 2026 onwards to improve coordination of government-wide digital transformation.
These are among the key ministry-specific recommendations contained in the Government’s (under the Ministry of ICT) Digital Landscape Assessment Report, which identifies priority reforms required across public institutions to modernise service delivery and strengthen digital governance.
According to the report, Parliament requires an in-house strategic ICT leader capable of providing technical oversight for legislative systems, digital records management and parliamentary broadcasting.
The assessment recommends that Parliament establish a strategic ICT Officer, or Chief Information Officer, within its establishment to oversee legislative information systems and broader digital operations. It also calls for the development of a costed ICT strategy aligned with the national e-Government framework while recognising Parliament’s constitutional independence and commitment to legislative transparency.
The report further recommends upgrading the SWAZI-NET bandwidth available to Parliament and expanding local area network coverage to all floors of the parliamentary complex to support legislative record-keeping, broadcasting and high-speed connectivity.
It also proposes prioritising the digitisation of Parliament’s broadcasting and records platforms to improve transparency and expand public access to parliamentary proceedings.
The Prime Minister’s Office also features prominently in the report, with recommendations aimed at strengthening its oversight role in the implementation of government digital programmes.
The assessment recommends that the PM’s Office formalise Service Level Agreements with the Royal Eswatini Science and Technology Park (RSTP) and third-party ICT service providers to ensure greater accountability in the delivery of digital services.
It further urges the office to develop and formally approve an ICT strategy for 2026 onwards, reflecting the PM’s Office responsibility for national coordination and whole-of-government monitoring.
The report also recommends expanding digital service delivery, particularly in areas such as human trafficking case management and government-wide performance monitoring systems, which it describes as central to the Prime Minister’s mandate.
The ministry-specific recommendations form part of a broader section of the report that identifies actions required across government institutions while also highlighting cross-cutting themes affecting the entire public service.
The report states that the recommendations were drawn directly from feedback provided by individual ministries, ensuring that each institution’s unique operational challenges and priorities are addressed. At the same time, it identifies common issues requiring coordinated intervention across government to accelerate Eswatini’s digital transformation.
The recommendations come as Government pushes ahead with implementing its national digital transformation agenda aimed at improving public service delivery, strengthening governance and expanding access to digital government services.
#Parliament #PM #Government #Eswatini #DigitalTransformation #2026Strategy
