US presses for speedy Malawi public sector reforms, condemns political appointments in public service
US ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer has asked for speedy implementation of public sector reforms, saying this is the best way to get Malawi out of its poverty trap.
Palmer said this in a special radio interview with Zodiak.
She also asked President Peter Mutharika to desist from making political appointments in the public service, saying only qualified and skilled Malawians can help the country fight poverty.
“Malawi is poor, very poor after 51 years of independence. But Malawi can do better if the reforms are implemented. This should e a matter of urgency,” said Palmer.
Palmer, however, noted that Malawi has made progress in financial prudence programmes and urged the government not to relax.
She advised the government to deal with the issue of ghost workers once and for all, saying this is a drain on the public purse.
The government is currently doing head count for each and every civil servant with an aim of identifying ghost workers.
Although the issue of ghost workers started soon after the 1994 multiparty elections, no one has so far been arrested or charged in connection with the swindling of public money through the creation of fake civil servants on government payroll.
Palmer commended the government for delegating one person to be in control of each government ministry and departments including payments, saying this would deter another occurrence of cashgate.
Virginia Palmer Mutharika is only interested of cashgate during Madame Joyce Banda.577 billion was looted during his brothers’s era but we never saw any big fish arrested from Dpp.This oldman is sitting on sacks of billions.Its him and his tribalmen who are enjoying in Malawi.Reforms is about putting his homeboys in strategic positions so that they can continue to swindle the taxpayer.The oldman is nepotistic to the core.He will never listen to any of these sentiments.Virginia Palmer you are just wasting your breathe for nothing.Malawians are used to all sorts of misery and poverty.They like worshipping their incompetent leaders alot.
Pamer pitiliza
Shorp ikamaoneka kuti sikupeza phindu mwini shorp amagulitsa kwaena kuti ayese mwayi nafenso tiligulise kwaena ayese mwayi tikukakamira tokha mpaka tikathera kunyanja timvere zomwe amzathu akunena mkhanda lazaka 51kumangokhalira kukwawa zithe kusolora kwaonjeza
Kodi amabwerela kulamula nawo dziko? kapena ndi a opposition? mpake kumawabalamutsa anthu yawa Kodi mumawafunsilanji? akuyendetsa nawo dziko kapena? ife ndiye anatikwanatu zongotsekula pakamwa pawo daily pa zochitika kwathu kuno. UKAPOLO/UTSAMUNDA UNATHA KALE Kaapitani chondeee!
It is sad that an Ambassador would publicly admonish the Government about nepotism and fraudulent “employees”. As if such waste and mismanagement is not enough, the Givernment goes on a spending spree on luxury vehicles and travel!
Where is our pride as a people; where is our conscious if Goverent misuses the poor tax payers’ money and leaves the people exposed to preventable deaths because of shortages of medical supplies and risks of poor harvests and hunger because debts to suppliers of seeds and fertilizers are not paid on time?
Good work Palmer i hope you have discovered the whole government departments are full of Lomwes and mostl got JSCE’s claiming they got degrees for instance Kondwani Nankhumwa and that is not his real name.Amen
There was no serious thought given to the type of public service suitable for a multiparty democracy setup in Malawi. We ushered in democracy but we kept the old one party dictatorship kind of public service. Public appointments mean nothing much than rewarding a party crony or a home boy with a lucrative sinecure. Toss of the public reforms facade and there we go- incompetent and corrupt civil servants of all the time.
Political appointments is one of the major diseases in Malawi. This disease has crippled the country because all this incompetence we see in the government and its subsequent failure to hold underperforming staff accountable is dragging the country to move forward. This disease was started by John Tembo when People from Dedza were always a priority to top position. When Bakili came to power he perfected the art then Bingu localised it Thyolo/Mulanje and a Mayi did not change much though she tried to appoint on National basis but still on political basis ! The current president has good intention… Read more »
Virginia, TIA- This Is Africa!!
Iwe Palmer ma reform kuti atheke akufuna ndalama. Iwe wasiya kutithandiza koma mukufuna speedy reforms. Kodi ndinu munatiuza za ma reforms. Tisiye tipange mmene tikuganizira. Zaphuma ife ayi. Pano tikuona kaye za njala ndi mankhwala mzipatala. Ma reform satipatsa nsima ya lero. Zimenezo tichitabe mavuto a cashgate akachepa.