Perform or face the chop, OPC warns PSs

by BRIGHT SONANI

Government has warned principal secretaries
(PSs) and senior government officials whose departments have performed
poorly towards achieving the goals set in the Malawi Growth and
Development Strategy (MGDS) to jack up and start performing or face the
chop.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Bright Msaka issued the
warning yesterday in Lilongwe during the opening of the MGDS annual
review report briefing meeting for PSs and senior government officials.

The MGDS annual review, which covers 2006/07, indicates that out of
the six priority areas, only three have performed satisfactorily while
out of five thematic areas, none has performed.

"I am very pleased and encouraged to read the good reports of the
excellent progress that some of you have made. However, and in equal
measure, I am certainly perturbed to read reports of the lacklustre
performance by some of you.

"I would like to leave you in no doubt whatsoever, that mediocrity
will no longer be tolerated and you cannot hope to remain in employment
if you fail to serve the people of this nation with dedication,
commitment and efficiency they expect," said Msaka.

However, he said, for those who are performing, President Bingu wa
Mutharika will soon personally acknowledge and recognise them
nationally.

According to a report on the annual review, irrigation and water
development, transport and infrastructure development, and integrated
rural development are the priority areas which have been said to be
performing below average.

The report singled out agriculture and food security, energy
generation and supply and nutrition and HIV and Aids prevention and
management as having performed above average.

In the thematic areas, education and gender, which are sub themes in
the social development, have been rated below average. On the other
hand, air and rail transport, sub themes of infrastructure development,
have been rated poor.

Sustainable economic growth has had mixed ratings with average
performance in trade and private sector development and environment
sectors while fisheries and forests have been rated below average.
Wildlife, lands and housing have also scored poorly.

On governance, the review indicates that the country is doing poorly
on democratic governance with the National Assembly, justice and rule
of law, human rights and decentralisation being below average, while
the fight against corruption is above average.

In the governance thematic area, economic governance has been rated above average.