Govt to go automation —VP

Malawi Government has confirmed that automation will be a central component of the reforms that it has embarked on.

Vice-President Saulos Chilima, who chairs the Public Service Reforms Commission, told Weekend Nation last Thursday that reforms without automation would be ineffective.

“I will confirm that automation is among the key enablers for this process,” said Chilima, whose commission was set up to provide strategic leadership in the implementation of Public Service Reforms to improve service delivery in Malawi.

“For instance, we need automation to implement the National Identification Cards project,” he said. “So, basically, what we are saying is that we need automation to ease and modernise the methods for delivering service to the public.”

“But for more details about exactly what will be done, let me not pre-empt the work that is currently already underway to come up with concrete recommendations,” he added.

Part of the reforms includes the restructuring of public service functions and realignment of the work force to rhyme with the size of government.

Speaking recently at a press conference, Chilima explained that the recent reduction of government ministries to 20 has created redundancies of principal secretaries in a number of ministries.

“There is [therefore] need for an exercise to match the number of Principal Secretaries and existing ministries, based on needs in the current number of Ministries,” he explained.

This is what has given rise to government’s consideration to reduce the number of principal secretaries from 96 to 40.

“Their number exceeds the current number of Ministries, and the need for their services,” said Chilima.

Maintaining 96 principal secretaries, following the recently revised salaries, would be costing the tax payer over K1 billion (about $2m) per year.