The Malian government is embracing a new digital era, launching six new solutions to modernize key public services.
The goal is to improve efficiency, increase transparency, and boost revenue in sectors like transportation, health, and administration. The initial results are promising, with significant increases in revenue already reported.
In the transportation sector, Mali is digitizing its road toll system. So far, ten out of 33 toll booths have been equipped with a new digital system. The results have been immediate and impressive. For example, the toll booth in Massala saw its monthly revenue jump from 30 million to 65 million CFA francs after the system was installed. Similarly, a digital system in Kati saw revenues more than double from 29 million to 73 million CFA francs a month. The government has also launched a new platform to secure and track transportation tickets.
In healthcare, Mali is implementing the OpenClinic hospital system to digitize patient records and manage various hospital functions, including pharmacy, laboratory, and finances. This is a significant step toward improving healthcare delivery and patient management.
Additionally, the Ministry of Territorial Administration has introduced an integrated system to manage prefectural information. This new digital solution includes a national database of associations, government personnel tracking, and constituency mapping, all with a focus on data integrity and security.
While these digital solutions show great promise, Mali’s internet penetration rate of around 35% presents a challenge for widespread adoption. The government acknowledges this by also providing complementary physical and mobile service counters.
The effort is part of a broader trend across the continent. Ghana’s Ghana.gov portal and Kenya’s eCitizen platform have both successfully digitized a wide range of services, resulting in significant increases in government revenue. These regional examples highlight that success requires not only technological solutions but also improvements in connectivity, financial controls, and data protection.
By developing these solutions locally, Mali aims to build its own digital infrastructure and create sustainable, efficient systems that can be scaled up to benefit the entire country.
MD/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA