Zambia Launches Digital Contract Management System to Modernise Public Administration

The Zambian government has launched the Contract Tracking and Management Information System (CTMIS) as part of its drive to digitise public administration, improve efficiency and eliminate the costly movement of physical contract files across government institutions.

Developed by the SMART Zambia Institute  in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice,  the digital platform was officially launched in Lusaka by Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa. The system is designed to modernise contract processing and strengthen public service delivery in line with the government’s broader digital transformation agenda.

Kangwa said the manual contract management system had become costly and inefficient, requiring physical files to be transported between ministries, provincial administrations and the Ministry of Justice headquarters. He noted that CTMIS will eliminate unnecessary travel, reduce expenditure on stationery and printing, improve efficiency in contract management, and generate significant savings in public resources.

The new platform will also enhance transparency and accountability by enabling contract submissions, reviews and approvals to be tracked in real time through a secure digital dashboard.

Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha said his office has received more than 4,600 requests for legal reviews since the beginning of 2025, placing significant pressure on the existing paper-based system. He explained that the manual process had become unsustainable, resulting in delays, increased storage requirements and the risk of misplacing critical legal documents.

Under the new system, ministries, local authorities and state-owned enterprises will submit contract documents electronically to the Office of the Attorney General through an online portal. Legal officers will be able to review, annotate, track and return contracts digitally, eliminating the need for physical file handling and courier services.

Kabesha said the adoption of CTMIS is expected to reduce contract processing times from weeks to days while creating automated audit trails that will strengthen oversight, accountability and transparency in government contracting.

The launch of CTMIS marks another milestone in Zambia’s digital government programme, with the SMART Zambia Institute continuing to deploy technology-driven solutions aimed at improving public sector efficiency, enhancing service delivery and accelerating the country’s digital transformation agenda.