Zambia’s digital migration policy has not yet been approved by cabinet raising concerns about the country’s readiness to beat the 2015 deadline.

Last year, permanent secretary in the ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Amos Malupenga, said the policy had been approved by cabinet signifying the Zambian government’s readiness to embark on the migration exercise.

But the deputy minister of Information and Broadcasting Mwansa Kapeya has said the country’s digital migration policy is yet to be tabled before cabinet for approval.

Kapeya said the policy has already been drafted but is yet to be tabled before cabinet for scrutiny and approval so the country can embark on the migration process. Zambia has not yet even awarded a tender for digital migration project to any company.

Kapeya however insisted that the country would meet the migration deadline.

Zambia had planned to beat this year's December 31 deadline set by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), but Kapeya says the country would only manage to partially switch from analogue to digital.

Last week, Mwansa led a delegation to Ghana to learn how the West African country has managed to migrate.

“Although Zambia had logistical challenges in its quest to migrate by December 2013, it has learnt from Ghana that determination and involvement of key stakeholders were essential to complete the process. We have the migration policy which is yet to be presented to cabinet for approval,” Kapeya said.

He added that he is hopeful that cabinet would approve the policy guideline so that the country can quickly start implementing the migration process.

The country’s decision to award the tender contract to a company for digital migration project is currently embroiled in confusion after the Zambian government denied awarding the $220 million contract to Star Software Technologies Company of China.