Samia wants government's record keeping fully digitised

Arusha. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has challenged record keepers to go digital.

She said here yesterday that days of retrieving records in files and bulky documents are gone.

President Hassan added that technological advancement in record keeping would improve efficiency, especially in the public sector.

“The manual system was vulnerable to loss of records,” she said when she opened a meeting of the records and archives professionals.

The annual meeting at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) has been organised by the Tanzania Records and Archives Management Professionals Association (Trampa).

The Head of State said loss of records in government offices has been fuelled by continued use of the manual systems.

She cited loss of records on the terminal benefits of some retired employees, saying it was largely to blame on the outdated record keeping technologies.

“Some of them have developed pressure and even died because it took too long for their records to be found,” she said.

With advanced technology all government records can be digitised to improve efficiency and service delivery.

However, the President used the occasion to warn public officials against posting official documents on social media.

According to her, the matter has lately become notorious, adding that it was against the official secrets regulations.

“The government has its own procedures of communicating with its officials and the public,” she explained.

She said she is often surprised to find some official letters in the social media and wondered who was behind the leakage.

However, the Head of State was quick to point a finger to some public officials who either lacked work ethics or were corrupt.

It was unfortunate, she explained, that within the government ranks there were people who cannot be trusted on official documents.

“They are either corrupt or not aware of the regulations and rules on sensitive government information,” he pointed out.

She implored on the record and archive keepers in government offices to exhibit maximum integrity “on sensitive documents”.

President Hassan said the government was now contemplating to have the record keepers and the personal secretaries take oath before assuming duties.

She directed the ministry responsible for Public Service Management to explore this although she hinted this has not always been a cure for official secrets leakage.

“We have people who normally take oath before assuming higher positions in full glare of everybody but eventually mess up,” she stated.

Earlier the chairperson of Trampa (Tanzania Records and Archives Management Professionals Association) chairperson Ms Josephine Manase outlined challenges facing them.

She said although the records and archive professionals were found in practically all public institutions,they were neglected at most.

She added that they are often denied refresher courses and some duty allowances, noting that their schemes of service are not very clear.

“There are no binding employment contracts. This has created room for non-professionals. Unqualified people are working in our registries,” she pointed out.

Trampa, which has its head offices in Dar es Salaam, was formed in 2012 but got full registration in 2014 from where it started to operate.

It was established to promote the welfare of the record and archive professionals as well as the sector now seeking full recognition.

According to Ms Manase, there were about 1,500 qualified professionals working in various public and private institutions.

Courses on the same are also offered “in tits and bits” by various higher learning institutions but not streamlined for full visibility.

She cited scarcity of working tools and poor archiving facilities as among the challenges facing them and the entire safe keeping of the government records.

Responding, the minister of State in the President’s Office (Public Service Management), Ms Jenista Mhagama, assured the government was keen on grading the record and archive keepers.

She said during the next financial year (2022/23) financial year, the government would employ 30,000 record and archives keepers and personal secretaries.

Ms Mhagama added that the government was aware of Sh1.3 billion being arrears it owed to the cadre, noting that the monies would be paid.