Chilima invites general public to submit views, proposals and comments on the review of 3 Government systems

Vice-President Chilima, chairperson of the special taskforce

* Of allowances, procurement and employment contracts

* As mandated by President Lazarus Chakwera on February 14

* The comments and proposals should be sent by March 21

* to be sent through email address: reviewtaskforce@ovp.gov.mw

* or Facebook Page: Malawi Public Sector Reforms: https://www.facebook.com/MalawiPublicSectorReforms

* Or WhatsApp: 0883 682 197 (text messages only, no calls)

* Twitter handle: – @the_reforms

By Duncan Mlanjira

The Public Service Systems Review Taskforce, which President Lara’s Chakwera instituted on February 14, 2021, is inviting the general public to submit their views, proposals and comments on the review of the three government systems of allowances, procurement and employment contracts.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 2, the public is being asked to categorise their submissions as system of Allowances; Procurement; Employment Contracts; Conditions of Service and Restructuring of the Public Service.

The contributions should be sent by March 21, 2021 and “scheduled meetings with different stakeholder groups depending on the specific task at hand will be organized in due course”.

“The Taskforce values the input of every Malawian citizen, hence the call for the submissions,” says the statement, also urging those wishing for further information to contact:

* McCarthy Mwalwimba, Public Relations Officer for Public Sector Reforms on 0999 673 416

* Or Directors, Emmie Galafa on 0884 144 006 and Mr Sibusiso Jere on 0888 307 577.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Saulos Chilima already announced the names of the special taskforce he is chairing which held its first meeting on Thursday, February 25 to agree on the modus operandi including an action plan with clear timelines.

The members are Prof. Ronald Mangani; Prof. Nyovani Madise; Prof. Ngeyi Kanyongolo; Prof. Wiseman Chijere Chirwa; Dr. Aubrey Mvula; Dr. Henry Chingaipe; Steve Matenje SC; Waki Mushani; John Suzi Banda; Rev. Elsie Tembo; Tione Chilambe; Zunzo Mitole; Nwazi Mnthambala and Jane Kambalame.

The special taskforce is to submit its recommendations to the President within 90 days and in between it will ensure that the public is regularly engaged and it is held accountable by both the President and the people of Malawi.

It will be supported by a team of technocrats within the civil service from the Office of the President and Cabinet, the Public Sector Reforms, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Finance, among others.

The President described the current systems of government as being the rot that is contributing to public resource plunder following revelation that over K6.2 billion that was disbursed last year by the government — meant for the fight against COVID-19 — was abused.

After announcing stiff decisions in his national address on February 14 following the furore that surrounded the plunder of the K6.2 billion COVID-19 funds, Chakwera said it was time to address the bigger problem by cleaning up these three systems in government.

He directed that Chilima, in his capacity as Minister of Public Sector Reforms, should submit recommendations within three months — which “must include any legislative changes we must make in our laws at one of the sittings of Parliament this year so that our laws protect the interests and resources of the public”.

He said public servants use broken systems to loot and use bad laws and contracts to keep their jobs in the system and keep looting.

“The recommendations must also include a restructuring of the civil service to be more efficient and of civil servants’ conditions of service so that the good people in the system are well supported and not able to use poor pay as an excuse for wasting, abusing, and stealing public resources.

“This systemic review and overhaul will be resisted by so many who are benefiting from the looting, including greedy politicians from all our political parties, greedy businesses from the private sector, and greedy civil servants they partner with inside the machinery,” the President said.

He also reminded the nation that he spoke about this looting scheme in the government system in a national address on July 25th, 2020, less than a month after he took office.

In that speech, Chakwera had said: “there is no Government Ministry, Department, or Agency where the culture of impunity for wastage, misappropriation, and theft is not entrenched. And so we cannot afford to deal with corruption selectively by focusing on the tip of the iceberg.

He had further said: “It is the whole system that is corrupt and therefore it is the whole system we must clean up.”