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Civil service systems review on course—Chilima

Vice-President Saulos Chilima has said the Public Service Systems Review is on course and the task force is expected to submit its final report within 90 days as mandated by President Lazarus Chakwera in February this year.

The 14-member Civil Service Comprehensive Review Task Force, which Chilima leads, comprises respected professionals such as academicians and lawyers.

Chilima: Good progress has been made

The team is expected to come up with recommendations and measures to clean up the Malawi civil service which has gained a reputation for being inefficient and corrupt.

In a video the Veep’s office released yesterday, Chilima said “very good progress has been made” and the task force is certain that it will deliver within the given time frame.

He said: “As you recall, His Excellency the President made the announcement on February 14 for me to lead a task force to review systems in government; systems of procurement, allowances and contracts and in the same vein, he also asked us to review conditions of service as well as make suggestions on how the civil service can be restructured.

“A task force was suggested and approved by the President a few days after, held its first meeting on February 23 and since then there have been a number of meetings among the task force members as well as consulting with members of the general public on topical issues.”

Chilima, who is also Minister of Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms, said the task force thought that as their mandate drew towards the end, they needed to update the nation on progress made.

“We came together as a task force and, therefore, planned a retreat where we discussed nothing but the assignment at hand so that we deliver within the 90 days that the President asked us to do.

“Very good progress has been made and we are very certain that we are going to deliver within that time frame and we promise good quality product as we go forward.”

The Vice-President further said he will be announcing when the task force will be making a submission to the President as mandated.

Some of the task force members are former secretary to Treasury Professor Ronald Mangani, professors Nyovani Madise, Ngeyi Kanyongolo, Wiseman Chijere Chirwa, Dr. Henry Chingaipe, lawyer John Suzi-Banda and former principal secretary in the Office of the Vice-President responsible for Public Sector Reforms Management Nwazi Mnthambala.

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