Chilima submits civil service quick-fix report
Vice-President Saulos Chilima yesterday submitted the much-awaited report on quick overhaul of public service systems on allowances, procurement and employment contracts.
The report was submitted to President Lazarus Chakwera at Kamuzu Palace in a closed-door ceremony.
As of yesterday, details of the report were closely guarded, with the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) tongue-tied on its contents.
But the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), yesterday called for government to release the report.
“The public sector reform is long overdue and Malawians have always believed it to be one of the areas that needed an overhaul in a bid to transform the civil service in terms of performance, maladministration and curbing corruption,” said the group in a statement.
In the statement signed by chairperson Gift Trapence and national cordinator Luke Tembo, HRDC added that the report should be made public to allow every citizen to follow and understand the reform process.
“Our call for accountability and transparency is based on the fact that only when these outcomes and recommendations are made public will Malawians be able to fully adopt and embrace them,” added the statement.
In an interview, State House press secretary Brian Banda yesterday said the President will review the contents of the report before giving guidance on the way forward.
He said: “As you recall, the President called for the report to address the issues in government. The report has been handed to him, he will now take time to study and decide the way forward, including a decision on whether to make the contents public or not.”
The report is expected to have made several recommendations to the President built on recommendations of the public reform sector review programme which has been ongoing for a number of years.
Members of the task force included Prof Ronald Mangani, Professor Nyovasi Madise, Dr Aubrey Mvula, Dr Henry Chingaipe, Dr Steven Matenje, Waki Mushani, John Suzi-Banda, Reverend Elsie Tembo, Tione Chilambe, Zunzo Mitole, Nwazi Nthambala and Jane Kambalame.
President Chakwera ordered the formation of the task force in his February speech following revelations of abuse of Covid-19 funds, saying there was a need for the country to tackle the overarching problem of wastage and corruption in the civil service.
