Maravi

PF has ignored pleas to abolish DC role, says Chileshe

PF has ignored pleas to abolish DC role, says Chileshe
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Mon 20 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT

THE PF government has ignored appeals to abolish the position of district commissioner, says a business consultant. Lawrence Chileshe, who is also former Chamber of Mines of Zambia assistant general manager, said the appeals to abolish the position of district commissioner were made in good faith for government structures to reduce and make real savings on government expenditure.

Chileshe said the abolition of the position would show the government's seriousness in reducing its structure and expenditure.

"The reduction of government's structure will be deemed as ‘cosmetic' if the position of district commissioner is not abolished. With the creation of new districts and the appointment of district commissioners, with immediate effect, means that we no longer have 72 district commissioners. This is a large number of which if abolished, huge sums of money could be saved and the funds re-allocated, to improve conditions of service of other more critical civil servants or used in hospitals, schools, increasing empowerment funds or the funds sent to the provincial offices. How will this decentralization that President Michael Sata talks about become a reality?" he asked.

He said historically, the people appointed as district commissioners in the previous governments were used as ‘district political organisers' and not as purely civil servants.

"In the MMD government, the district commissioners would be said to be the link between the party and the government. However, this should not be the case in the PF regime, as the PF government had promised a reduced government structure, resulting in reduction in government's recurrent expenditure. The Patriotic Front party must ensure that party structures are strengthened and not rely on district commissioners to organise the party at district level. The former government did not strengthen the party structures at grass root level and this contributed in the party losing in the last general elections," he said.

"Sadly, we are now seeing PF officials being appointed as district commissioners. The new DC of Choma, Mr Golden Nyambe, is Choma PF district vice-chairman. The new DC in Chikankata, Mr Sylvester Simayaba, is Mazabuka PF district chairman. And PF Mazabuka Central losing parliamentary candidate, Lucia Mwiinde, has been appointed as DC for Monze. Is this position now being used to reward hard working PF party officials or another form of job creation just for PF officials? I am a PF supporter, but these positions need to be abolished. The PF government needs to be bold as it is implementing changes in fiscal policy."

Chileshe also said the government's action in the last few months had raised concerns over a possible increase in government expenditure for 2012.

"We have seen government creating districts and appointing office bearers with immediate effect. We have seen government embarking on a debasing of the currency, an exercise which is not cheap. Yet all this is not clearly budgeted for in the 2012 national budget. We have had so many pronouncements, especially by our President, which creates additional expenditure in this fiscal year. It is as though the government has not weighed the full implications of such actions, that it will have to spend in order to achieve all these pronouncements," he said.

"It will not matter whether induction workshops of permanent secretaries are reduced or even President Sata abandoning his motorcade and just using an ordinary bus when visiting Livingstone as will would matter is sober economic thinking and fiscal discipline."

Chileshe said the country needed real and tangible savings on government expenditure.

"Ministers need to be professional, very bold and advise the President on such matters that border on the economics of this country. It is not a one-man show; they must work as a team. Has the President appointed an economic advisor at State House? Maybe that is where part of the problem might just be," said Chileshe.

Labels: DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS, LAWRENCE CHILESHE, PF

posted by MrK @ 1:40 PM