Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Times News
Published on 2024-04-18 06:34:00
President Lazarus Chakwera has given a directive to the government top brass to identify civil servants interested in upgrading their education with the government’s assistance. This directive was made during the official inauguration of the Malawi School of Government (MSG) in Lilongwe, where Chakwera emphasized the importance of education advancement within the civil service.
Chakwera highlighted the lack of proper arrangements for education advancement within the civil service when his administration first came into office. This led to the establishment of the Malawi School of Government, which aims to provide guidance and mentorship to civil and public servants. The institution was created in 2022 through the merger of the Malawi Institute of Management (MIM) and Mpemba Staff Development Institute (SDI).
The President instructed the Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Colleen Zamba, to work with heads of government departments and parastatals to identify beneficiaries for specific courses at the MSG. Chakwera emphasized that public sector reform begins with reforming public servants themselves, and this effort must start at the Malawi School of Government.
In response to the directive, Zamba assured that her office would ensure the timely implementation of the directive. She also mentioned that certain courses would become mandatory for all civil servants to participate in, with allocated funds for training in the budget.
Director General of MSG, Professor Asiyati Lorraine Chiweza, stated that the institution is committed to achieving its five-year plan, which includes full integration, rebranding, and financial sustainability. The aim is to enhance the capacities of both the public and private sectors to improve public service delivery.
During the event, it was revealed that MSG inherited pension arrears totaling over K960 million but has successfully disbursed over K700 million to 21 former employees since its establishment. The Chairperson of the MSG Council, Professor Lewis Dzimbiri, expressed gratitude to the President for the directive and highlighted the institution’s capacity to train public officers by engaging retired individuals and outsourcing expertise from the private sector when needed.
Established in 1989, MIM served as a hub for government training, delivering leadership and management training, consultancy, and research services. The merger of MIM and SDI in 2022 led to the renaming and rebranding of MSG with campuses in Blantyre and Lilongwe. State Vice President Saulos Chilima also attended the event, showing support for the government’s initiative to enhance education within the civil service.
Read the original article on The Times
