Chakwera gets tough: Moves to dissolve boards of directors for 60 parastatals

President Lazarus Chakwera is getting tough on cleaning up government with the latest being dissolution of board of directors of 60 statutory corporations.

A statement from the Office of the Chief Secretary, Zangazanga Chikhosi, and released Tuesday night underlined that the dissolution was with immediate effect.

Chakwera said he has been  receiving reports from various state institutions regarding the status of their operations, “which will inform the steps I will soon be taking to ensure that all institutions have the wherewithal to address the anomalies and malpractices within them.”

With Vice-president Dr Saulos Chilima back at the centre of Public Sector Reforms, the dissolving of board of directors was an expected move as it represents the beginning of the change in how statutory corporations operate in the country.

Governance analyst Makhumbo Munthali told Nyasa Times on Wednesday that the dissolving of the boards  should be viewed as “a positive development coming against the background of underperformance and political infiltration of the same.”

However, he said President Chakwera and his deputy Chilima have  “an opportunity to prove their critics wrong by sticking to the promise of their manifestos by ensuring that the fresh appointments are largely merit based.”

Malawians on social media have since welcomed the dissolution of the boards, saying the reforms at some of the state institutions were long overdue.

“Please look into malpractices at all government institutions, particularly, recruitment of employees. Help create a system that allows those with merit get jobs. [Create] a strong system that will remain after you,” said Francis Kalonga, a Blantyre resident.

Among the dissolved boards is the state broadcaster, the tobacco commission, communication regulatory authority, the bureau of standards, the electricity supply commission and national examination board.

Below is the full of the statutory corporations involved:

1. Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC)
2. Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi LTD (ESCOM)
3. Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC)
4. Airport Development Limited (ADL)
5. Malawi College of Accountancy (MCA)
6. Lilongwe Water Board (LWB)
7. Electricity Generation Company Limited (EGENCO)
8. Southern Region Water Board (SRWB)
9. Malawi Institute of Management (MIM)
10. Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC)
11. National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA)
12. Northern Region Water Board (NRWB)
13. Blantyre Water Board (BWB)
14. Central Region Water Board (CRWB)
15. National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA)
16. Malawi Enterprise Development Fund (MEDF)
17. Umodzi Holdings Limited (UHL)
18. Technical Entrepreneurial, Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA)
19. National Construction Industry Council (NCIC)
20. Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)
21. Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA)
22. Tobacco Commission (TC)
23. Pharmacy Medicines and Poisons Board (PMPB)
24. Malawi Gaming Board (MGB)
25. Malawi Accountants Board (MAB)
26. Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS)
27. Malawi Digital Broadcasting Network (MDBNL)
28. Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST)
29. Lilongwe Handling Company (LIHACO)
30. Cotton Council of Malawi(CCM)
31. Air Cargo Malawi Limited(ACM)
32. Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)
33. University of Malawi (UNIMA)
34. Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB)
35. Malawi College of Health Sciences (MCHS)
36. Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST)
37. Mzuzu University (MZUNI)
38. Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources LUANAR
39. Roads Authority (RA)
40. Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Development Institute (SMEDI)
41. Malawi Institute of Education (MIE)
42. Medical Council of Malawi (MCM)
43. Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi (NMCM)
44. Malawi Investment Trade Centre (MICT)
45. Malawi National Commission for UNESCO (MNC-UNESCO)
46. National Herbarium and Botanical Gardens (NHBG)
47. National Library Services (NLS)
48. National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCM)
49. National Commission of Science and Technology (NCST)
50. National Council for Higher Education (NCHE)
51. National Water Resources Authority (NWRA)
52. Malawi Council for the Handicapped MACOHA)
53. Malawi National Council for Sports (MNCS)
54. Competitions and Fair Trading Committee (CFTC)
55. Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (AERA)
56. Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB)
57. Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC)
58. National Water Resources Authority (NWRA)
59. Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA)
60. National Aids Commission (NAC)