REMARKS BY MINISTER FOR INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

 HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS SIKHANYISO

 OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE EDRMS PROJECT

 THE ROYAL VILLAS

 20 NOVEMBER, 2019

 

 

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

YOUR EXCELLENCY JEREMY H.S. LIANG - AMBASSADOR OF THE R.O.C. (TAIWAN)

ACTING SECRETARY TO CABINET

PRINCIPAL SECRETARIES

SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

JOURNALISTS

DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

IT GIVES ME GREAT PRIDE TO STATE THAT WE ARE HERE THIS MORNING TO WITNESS THIS MOMENTOUS OCCURRENCE IN THE HISTORY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ESWATINI THAT IS CATAPULTING US TOWARDS BEING A SMART GOVERNMENT. THE MINISTRY OF ICT THROUGH ITS NATIONAL ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN A GIGANTIC STEP IN THE QUEST TOWARDS THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION BY LEVERAGING ON ICTs FOR DOCUMENT AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT.

WHEN THE EDRMS WAS INITIATED IN 2010, THE INTENTION WAS JUST TO AUTOMATE THE OPERATIONS OF THE ESWATINI NATIONAL ARCHIVES. HOWEVER, AFTER RECEVING ADVICE FROM COLLEAGUES IN THE REGION WE FELT THAT IT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS GOVERNMENT. IN 2015 THAT IS WHEN A PILOT PROJECT WAS JOINTLY FUNDED BY OUR GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA –TAIWAN THROUGH A BILATERAL AGREEMENT.

BEFORE I CONTINUE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-ONE MUST HASTEN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SUCH A MILESTONE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TANGIBLE HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF OUR DEAR DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGIC PARTNER, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA –TAIWAN (XIÈXIÈ NÍN DE GUĀNGLÍN- THANK YOU VERY MUCH YOUR EXCELLENCY).

KINDLY PASS OUR HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO HER EXCELLENCY TSAI ING-WEN AND THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE UNRELENTING DEDICATION, SUPPORT IN TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE AND FUNDING.

“TO SPEAK GRATITUDE IS COURTEOUS AND PLEASANT, TO ENACT GRATITUDE IS GENEROUS, AND NOBLE, BUT TO LIVE GRATITUDE IS TO TOUCH HEAVEN” JOHANNES GAETNER

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE ALREADY PILOTING THIS PROJECT IN SIX GOVERNMENT ENTITIES; CABINET, THE MINISTRY OF ICT; THE ROYAL ESWATINI POLICE SERVICE; INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT; THE JUDICIARY AND THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT. THE MAJORITY OF TIMES GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT WERE BEING PREPARED MANUALLY AND PRONE TO A LOT OF ILLEGAL MANIPULATION (MAINLY CORRUPTION).

WE ALL HAVE TO BE FULLY AWARE OF THE ROLE OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT AND HOW IT IMPACTS ON OUR PERFORMANCE AND OVERALL IMAGE, BOTH AS INDIVIDUAL MINISTRIES AND COLLECTIVELY AS A GOVERNMENT.

BY INTRODUCING EDRMS WE FELT THAT SECURITY WOULD BE ENHANCED; THE STORAGE SPACE WOULD BE REDUCED DRASTICALLY; REGULATORY COMPLIANCE WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE; QUICK AND EASIER RETRIVAL AND ACCESS OF FILES AND DOCUMENTS WOULD BECOME STRESS-FREE; IT WOULD ALSO BE SIMPLER TO TRACK AND MANAGE DOCUMENTS AND FINALLY IT WOULD PROVIDE A BETTER BACK-UP AND DISSASTER RECOVERY SYSTEM.

THE IMPETUS IN RECORDS GENERATION BROUGHT ABOUT BY TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES HAS SEEN RECORDS MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCING A MAJOR PARADIGM SHIFT. THEREFORE, THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI COULD NOT SIT BACK AND WATCH THE REST OF THE WORLD RESPONDING TO THE DEMANDS OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. IT IS IN THIS PREMISE THAT THE MINISTRY WILL BE IMPLEMENTING A NUMBER OF E-INITIATIVES OF WHICH THE EDRMS IS A PART OF.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT AS GOVERNMENT IS MOVING TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING THE EDRMS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IS ALSO IN SYNC. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT ARCHIVES LEGISLATION DOES NOT ADDRESS THE MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRONIC RECORDS AND RELATED SYSTEMS, HENCE THE NEED TO RE-ALIGN THE EXISTING REGULATORY FRAMEWORK. TO THIS END, RECORDS AND ARCHIVES IN THE COUNTRY, FOR ALMOST FIFTY YEARS, HAVE BEEN GOVERNED BY THE ARCHIVES ACT NO. 5 OF 1971 WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW AS PER THE DEMANDS OF THE EMERGING RECORDS MANAGEMENT LANDSCAPE.

AS TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED TO BE ONE OF THE A KEY PILLARS AND DRIVER WITH WHICH THE COUNTRY WILL NAVIGATE HER WAY TOWARDS FOSTERING RADICAL ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION, IT IS ENVISIONED THAT THE EDRMS WILL ASSIST IN UPROOTING THE CULTURE OF COMPLACENCY IN THE CIVIL SERVICE AND SUBSEQUENTLY PROMOTE SERVICE EXCELLENCE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT CURRENTLY DIFFERENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ARE USED IN GOVERNMENT AND ARE GENERATING VITAL PUBLIC RECORDS BEING STORED IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT IN THE LONG TERM, THE EDRMS SHALL ACT AS AN INTEGRATED RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT SHALL BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THE RECORDS FROM THE EXISTING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS.

WORTH NOTING IS THAT IN JULY, THE SYSTEM’S FUNCTIONALITY WAS DEMONSTRATED TO DIFFERENT USER GROUPS INCLUDING PRINCIPAL SECRETARIES, UNDER SECRETARIES, HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, PERSONAL SECRETARIES AND REGISTRY STAFF INCLUDING SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS AND SEED TRAINERS.

THE EDRMS SYSTEM CAN ONLY BE AS GOOD AND EFFECTIVE AS ITS USERS. ITS EFFICIENCY AND SUCCESS LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE USERS AND THAT IS OUR ESTEEMED SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM, WHO MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE WORKFORCE TO EMULATE.

WITH THESE REMARKS, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AS WE PAVE THE WAY FORWARD TOWARDS ESTABLISHING A SMART ESWATINI FOR EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF E-SERVICES.

A FORMER AMERICAN BASEBALL PLAYER GEORGE HERMAN POPULARLY KNOW AS BABE RUTH ONCE SAID, "THE WAY A TEAM PLAYS AS A WHOLE DETERMINES ITS SUCCESS. YOU MAY HAVE THE GREATEST BUNCH OF INDIVIDUAL STARS IN THE WORLD, BUT IF THEY DON’T PLAY TOGETHER, THE CLUB WON’T BE WORTH A DIME."

 LADIES AND GENTLEMENT IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO DECLARE THE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ESWATINI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED.

SIYABONGA BEKUNENE, MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS US ALL!