Parliament has set out to recruit a new head of the Office of the Director of Public Officers’ Declarations following the end of the tenure of current office holder Michael Chiusiwa.
The Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament yesterday advertised the position which will see the successful candidate serving a three-year contract, renewable for one additional three-year term.
In an interview yesterday, PAC chairperson Felix Njawala said the committee expects to complete the recruitment process by October to ensure a smooth transition.
“Our target is to complete the recruitment process for the new director latest by October so that the office should not be vacant,” he said.
Njawala added that the process will be transparent with the Parliament secretariat responsible for shortlisting candidates while the 23-member PAC will conduct the interviews.
The director is responsible for receiving and verifying declarations, monitoring compliance, publishing compliance information and referring cases of non-compliance to relevant authorities for sanctions.
Meanwhile, governance analysts Benedicto Kondowe and Willy Kambwandira have urged PAC to ensure that the appointment is based strictly on merit, integrity and professional competence.
Chiusiwa has been at the helm of the directorate since 2020, having previously served as deputy director.
The directorate is responsible for making provision for the declaration of assets, liabilities and business interests of the President, Cabinet, members of Parliament and prescribed public officers.
It is currently seeking an amendment of the assets declaration law to give it powers to prosecute public officers who fail to declare their assets or under-declare.
