Analysts cast doubt on public sector reforms

Political analysts have expressed concern over government’s decision to move public service reforms to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).

The analysts have since said such a move is likely going to render the reforms ineffective.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Chancellor College political science lecturer Boniface Dulani said it was wrong to delegate the operations of the Public Sector Reforms Commission to the OPC as it failed to implement similar programmes in the past.

He said the commission made significant progress in the reforms and that delegating the operations to the OPC is taking a step backwards.

“There has been success with the current commission in implementing the reforms so taking the operations to the OPC is not significant. It is a kind of madness to do the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Dulani said.

He further said the move shows signs of centralisation of power despite the government advocating decentralisation.

Another political analyst, Mustafa Hussein, said the reforms may face numerous challenges as the OPC has never had any success in implementing them.

He said the operations would be effective if the Vice-President Saulos Chilima was given directions as he is part of the Cabinet.

However, Public Sector Reforms Commission spokesperson Constance Kilimo in an e-mailed questionnaire, said the reforms achieved a lot.

Government early this month announced that the core duties of the Public Sector Reforms Commission had reverted to the OPC.

In 2004, government embarked on the reforms to improve service delivery in the public sector. n