A government-wide digital audit has uncovered widespread inefficiencies in public sector technology procurement, revealing that 18 government software systems have been abandoned despite significant public investment.
The findings are contained in the Digital Landscape Assessment Report presented by the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (MICT) during a breakfast meeting held in Mbabane on Thursday.
The report, which assessed 22 government Ministries between March and April 2026, paints a picture of fragmented ICT spending, weak planning, and poor coordination across ministries.
According to the assessment, government institutions currently operate a total of 214 digital systems. However, only 131 systems are fully operational, while 50 are only partially functional. Another 18 systems have either been abandoned or decommissioned altogether.
According to report, the situation reflects broader weaknesses in ICT governance and strategic planning within the public sector.
The audit found that although 10 ministries have dedicated ICT budgets, only two ministries possess approved ICT strategies to guide procurement and implementation decisions.
The report warns that ministries have continued acquiring standalone systems without adequate technical coordination or interoperability standards, resulting in isolated platforms that fail to communicate with one another.
“Value over volume is the key challenge,” the report notes, cautioning that the lack of integrated planning has created disconnected data silos across government.
The assessment also linked the inefficiencies to the shortage of internal ICT expertise within government institutions. 15 of the 22 ministries assessed reportedly do not have a single ICT professional on their payroll, forcing ministries to rely heavily on external vendors for maintenance and operational support.
According to the report, many systems eventually become inactive once vendor contracts expire due to the absence of internal technical capacity.
To address the problem, the e-Government Unit has recommended a temporary halt on new software acquisitions until ministries complete operational reviews of existing systems.
The report further recommends that abandoned systems either be revived where feasible or formally decommissioned before additional public funds are allocated towards new ICT projects.