Public Sector Reforms on course—OPC

The Public Sector Reforms Management Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has expressed satisfaction with reform programmes implemented by various public institutions in the country.

Speaking on Wednesday after a two-week media tour in the country’s three regions, director of technical services and public sector reforms Emmie Galafa said she was upbeat that due to the implementation of the reforms, most public institutions will in the near future start generating enough income to carry out various projects other than depending solely on government funding.

This, she said, will also necessitate the growth of industrialisation, thereby making Malawi realise its dream of becoming largely a producing and exporting nation and not an importing one.

Briefing the OPC officers when they toured construction works of its laboratory complex in Blantyre, Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) director of standards development Fred Sikwese said completion of the project, which is one of the reform areas the bureau is undertaking, is at 80 percent.

He said for a long time, the business community in the country has been having challenges trading in the international market due to standardisation challenges as MBS services were not internationally accredited due to poor infrastructure.

“Once this structure is completed, we will attain the international accreditation and this means industries targeting the international market will have their goods tested and certified right here in Malawi. This will help serve their time and income, leading to the growth of industrialisation and the economy of Malawi as a whole,” said Sikwese.

Currently, MBS is only accredited to test afrotoxin in legumes such as groundnuts.

On the challenges the institutions are facing in implementing the reforms such as resistance to embrace change and lack of finance to carry out projects, Galafa said her office will engage line ministries and other interested parties to support the institutions.