Malawi VP Chilima talks tough, inspires PSs to work hard
A charged up Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima on Monday spoke tough as he emotionally appealed to Principal Secretaries and key government officials to die a little for their country if the country is to develop.
Chilima was speaking to government officials in Mangochi at a meeting where PSs and other key public officials gathered to reflect on how the Malawi Public Service has served and how it can be improved.
The Vice President appealed to the government officials to be servants of the people and put the poor man in the village and street as the main reason they are in the public service.
“It is the people of Malawi that have employed us all to serve them through our various portfolios. Therefore, we should always have the local man and woman in our minds whenever we are stepping into our offices and know that we are there to serve this nation and its people with diligence,” said Chilima.
Chilima conceded that the economy is in bad shape and that there was need for concerted aggressive efforts from various stakeholders if there will be finally light at the end of the tunnel.
“This is the time to instill hope in our people and this is also the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Let’s tell each other and the people of Malawi that there are no gains without pains and that we must all work hard if we are to rebuild this nation,” said the veep adding; “We should not shrink or take the Ostrich approach to bury our heads in the sand from honestly facing conditions in our country today.”
The Vice President then appealed to the officials to find practical solutions to end infighting between politicians and technocrats in ministries and various departments, saying the tendency is retrogressive.
‘Reforms not multiple choice’
Speaking on the public service reforms which he himself is chairing, the Vice President said the initiative is not a question of multiple choice but something that will be done and must be done.
He said government will concretize and entrench in the Public Service is to ensure that remuneration of public servants is strictly linked to performance management, but also ensure that rewards and sanctions are effectively meted out in matters of discipline and misconduct.
“Malawi needs a Public Service that is truly professional, has a cadre of high performers and achievers who are fairly and openly appraised and rewarded accordingly. I am sure that you will come up with tangible solutions on how we can have a performance appraisal system that is functioning and does not only exist on paper,” he said.
So far the commission, which was given six months ending this December, says will meet the time frame and soon will be publicizing the changes starting with a news conference this week.
Some of the reforms that are already operational include decentralization of passports printing services to Mzuzu and Lilongwe, improvement of service delivery in the Road Traffic Department, decentralization of payment of salaries for teachers, restructuring of the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and improving the Integrated Financial Management and Information System (Ifmis), whose weaknesses led to massive looting of public funds.
On passports, apart from printing in Mzuzu and Lilongwe people will also be able to apply for passports from post offices as well as receiving a mobile text message once their passport has been issued. An MOU has been signed by Malawi postal Services and Immigration Department for the latter to start delivering the former’s services.
Others include decentralization of passports printing services to Mzuzu and Lilongwe, improvement of service delivery in the Road Traffic Department, decentralization of payment of salaries for teachers, restructuring of the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and improving the Integrated Financial Management and Information System (Ifmis), whose weaknesses led to massive looting of public funds.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Promote people on merit and after competition
Improve govt ict department because all these reforms are basing on ict capability.
Relieve payroll function from egovt to human resources dpt so that egovt concentrates on ict to improve performance.
Analyse egovt leadership and improve where necessary and the rest will start performing better.
Chilima himself needs to work hard and lead by example. All he’s been seen doing thus far, is attending funerals and installing chiefs. Spare us this stupid lecture and just do what you say and say what you do and show leadership in the process! And tell your boss too.
Za ziiii. I have MSc and have stayed for 12 yrs without promotion . Why aren’t you talking something to do with staff motivation first?
Hey hey! This is great. A dose of emotion is what makes all of us tick. Emotionless people are boring. If you don’t like a VP that makes an emotional appeal, you either have a problem or you don’t belong here altogether.
Chilima had good ideas but he is not in charge of the country. He knows Peter has goofed big time koma atani? Chilima can only become president after is chased by mass demos and only 1/3 of term is done. But if we chase away Peter now there will be elections within 90 days. Lets chase peter now then vote for chakwera
one malawi one nation We taxpayers we still paying stop nosense strikes anthu akuvutika mmizimu inu muli pa ntchito mukulandira every month
Ine ndimayesa kuti pa net pano tizipanga or commenting constructively. Koma ai ndithu. ndikuona hangover yoluza chisakho ilipobe. Please avoid kumwa ntonjani ndikumapanga ma comment.
Saulos walakwa chani? Chabwino kapena mwina za Ku Mangochizo kapena. Koma the veep was giving good advise to PSs, Whats wrong with that?
That is good coming
why make an emotional speech?
Failed govt