Maravi

Milupi calls for refocusing of civil service operations

Milupi calls for refocusing of civil service operations
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Monday February 18, 2008 [03:00]

Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee chairperson Charles Milupi has observed that there is need to refocus operations of the entire civil service if budget implementation and execution is to be expedited. Milupi charged that most permanent secretaries and controlling officers lacked capacity to expend their annual budgetary allocations because they lacked professional understanding.

Milupi said in an interview that slow expenditure by ministries, provinces and all spending agencies (MPSAs) could not entirely be blamed on the short government expenditure cycle.

“We are saying that if government is saying they have no capacity, then let us create it or hire that capacity; it is as simple as that,” Milupi said.

“The minister (Magande) should realise that there are many men and women in government who are very educated and have degrees. It is the question of focusing the way we do things, the capacity is there.”

Milupi said there was need for the government to revert to the earlier system where permanent secretaries were appointed from within the civil service.

“Before the MMD government came into power, permanent secretaries used to have roots in the ministries; they used to rise through the civil service,” Milupi said.

Milupi also said there was need for the country to reflect on huge projects like the construction of the Parliament building, the University of Zambia that the country undertook when the country had only few educated officials.

“If we could undertake serious and huge projects like building the National Assembly, UNZA where was the capacity? How has capacity evaporated? Let us not just say things anyhow without analysing them,” said Milupi.

“We should be able to execute projects to completion on time to cost and to quality.”
During the just ended workshop for controlling officers on financial management for permanent secretaries, both finance minister Ng’andu Magande and secretary to the treasury Evans Chibiliti expressed concern at the lack of capacity for ministries to execute their budgetary allocations.

Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, CIVIL SERVANTS, MINISTRIES

posted by MrK @ 9:10 AM