1.0 Currently the Ministry of Information comprises the Ministry headquarters situated at Capital  City, Lilongwe and the Department of Information whose headquarters are in Blantyre.  Under the Department of Information is the Malawi News Agency, and the three Regional Information Offices in Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Zomba.  However, the regional offices are being phased out following the decentralization policy which government is implementing.

1.1 Our vision is to have a well informed nation.

1.2 Our mission is:
To inform and promote public awareness about government policies and various socio-economic issues through news articles, films and folklore in print and audio-visual media to stimulate interest for participation in national development and to give communication policy guidance to parastatals under the Ministry.

1.3 Philosophy
We believe in the provision of timely and accurate information.
 We believe in the promotion of free-flow of information.

1.4 Operating guidelines

•  We believe in teamwork and unity of purpose in providing timely and accurate information;
•  We believe in upholding professional ethics and integrity in discharging our duties;
• We believe that trained and motivated staff will increase productivity; and
• We believe in cooperation with all our stakeholders.

2.1 The Ministry of Information continues to offer the aforementioned tasks, despite financial and human resources constraints to improve service delivery across the communication sector.
 
 Since Malawi attained independence from Britain in 1964 up until 1994 when multi-party democracy was ushered in, the Ministry of Information's main role was that of a disseminator as well as a defender of the government autocratic policies from mostly external criticism.

 However, the Ministry has in the last six years adopted its rightful role of being a disseminator of government's development programmes.

 Inspite of the adverse financial conditions, the Ministry has strived to ensure that the country enjoys the free flow of information which is an important requirement in the democratic dispensation.

 The Ministry also works as a Chief Government Spokesman on various issues pertaining to government.  Therefore, it enjoys a sound working relationship with the other government ministries/departments, the general public as well as the organisations it works with, including the diplomatic missions it provides its services to.

Besides, the Ministry of Information has over the years shouldered the responsibility of providing policy guidance to parastatals that fall under it such as the Malawi Telecomms Limited (MTL), the Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC), the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), the Malawi Television (TVM) and the Multi-country Telecommunications Training Centre (MCTC).

As a communications expert, the Ministry continues to play a leading role in the media industry in the country.  The Ministry has established the Central Office of Information where government departments and Ministries as well as the private sector brief the press outlining their various policy matters and other pertinent issues for public consumption.

In the same vein, the Ministry initiated the preparation of the Communications Policy and passing of the Communications Legislation in 1998 in order to further open up and hence liberalise the communications sector.

With such communications provisions in place, the country has witnessed an increase in the number of radio station from one to about 5 since 1994.  This has given the people a wider choice of the radio stations to listen to.

The landmark development in the history to Malawi's media industry was the inauguration of Malawi's sole terrestrial television station, Television Malawi in 1999.

Malawi has also witnessed the emergence of new telecommunication technology such as the internet, e-mail and mobile cellular phone over the past two years during which we also witnessed an indication of the tremendous development in the communication's sector.

Before 1994, the country had only one daily newspaper, one weekly newspaper and one government magazine.  The situation dramatically changed soon after 1994 as the country witnessed a thriving domestic publishing industry which saw more than twenty newspapers cropping up giving the people a wider choice of the reading material.

The advent of the democratic and plural dispensation has meant that the Ministry faces new challenges from new players.  This calls for the improvement of services rendering a task that is not easy given the constraints aforementioned.

In the course of discharging its duties, the Ministry faces some hurdles.  Inadequate funding poses as one of the Ministry's biggest problem.  It must be noted that the Ministry's operations are sometimes on an adhoc basis and can, therefore, not be planned or forecasted.  For example, the coverage of functions by the VVIP becomes difficult when the finances are not there or budgeted for the functions.

Besides this, the Ministry fails to achieve its objectives effectively and efficiently because of understaffing, lack of trained personnel and staff turn over, brought about by resignations, early retirements and deaths.  Therefore, there is need to recruit, train and promote staff in the Ministry if it is to fulfil its mandate.

The Ministry is exploring all avenues to foster more co-operation with other stakeholders so as to bring about the free flow of information country-wide hence help in nurturing the country's democracy.

Of late, the Ministry has embarked in liason with other ministries and stakeholders, on a research and planning program aimed at behaviuor change in view of the current HIV/AIDS pandemic as well as promoting reproductive health.

 PRINCIPAL OFFICERS
 
PRINCIPAL SECRETARY:      Mr. Geoff L.J. Mvula
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER     Mr. Anthony Livuza
DEPUTY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (Press)   Mr.Anthony Chamveka
DEPUTY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (Film and Technical) Mr. Kenson Mbwana
DEPUTY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (PUBLICATIONS) Mr. John Siliya
3.0 MANDATE/FUNCTION OF THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

The Ministry of Information has four main sections namely: - Press and Publications, Film and Technical, Research and Planning Unit and Administration which offer various important functions as shown: -

5.1 FUNCTIONS

5.1.1 Press and Publications

•  Gathering and disseminating news and feature articles;
• Photographic coverage of events;
• Publication and distribution of newspapers, I.E.C. materials, magazines, calendars and other adhoc publication;
•  Prepare and provide World News Service to VVIP;
•  Library service and documentation;
•  Coordinating press functions e.g. COI, presidential press briefings; and
• Provide transcription services.

•  Audio-visual production
•  Provide audio-visual services i.e. screening of films in rural areas and facilitates, Parliament relay services to VVIP as well as Ministries offices
• Repair and maintain A/V equipment;
• Record public events; develop support communication e.g. production of videos on topical issues.

•  Conducts communication research;
•  Produces I.E.C material; and
• Conducting  I.E.C campaigns.

•  The Ministry of Information derives its mandate to perform various activities from the Mission Statement, Communications Policy Statement and more recently, the Communications Act No. 41 of 1998.  It is important to note that all Ministry's functions and services are in line with the Mission Statement and support each other.

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