Since inauguration, the Man who fought for the position of Vice President Saulos Chilima has been in the news every day on his so-called Public-Sector Reforms tour.

From our reckoning he took the same tours in the DPP Government travelling to Uganda, Singapore the first few months upon taking office in the DPP led Government to no avail.

Since 1964, there have been 79 attempts to reform Malawi’s public sector.

  President Peter Mutharika launched a reform program aimed at boosting the efficacy of public services in the southern African country.

“I do not want the civil service to do the same things they used to do,” Mutharika declared at a launch ceremony held in capital Lilongwe.

“There must be change in the way we do business. Reforms will be done, and will be done now,” he asserted.

Mutharika then publicly signed an operational performance agreement with his ministers to show his commitment to the planned raft of reforms.

The agreement provides clear steps so that the country’s civil service performs at optimal levels, while civil servants are made fully accountable.

“Malawians want change, and this change will be made because we all want change,” said Mutharika.

In June of 2014, Mutharika established the Public Service Reform Commission in line with campaign promises to create a dynamic and efficient public service.

It is the same Saulos Chilima, who was the commission’s chairperson, who also said the nation’s public services must be streamlined so they no longer suffer from obsolescence and lethargy.

Fast forward Saulos Chilima says as a continuation of my engagements with Cabinet Ministers on Public Sector Reforms, this morning I met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Eisenhower Mkaka, and his ministry’s officials.

The ministry, whose mandate is to foster political and economic international relations, has undertaken a functional review to create new Directorates and Divisions as a way of improving service delivery. During the meeting, the Minister highlighted a number of reform areas to be implemented ranging from the establishment of Career Diplomatic Service to restructuring some of the Malawi missions abroad.

I welcomed the proposal to restructure our missions in a bid to broaden our global representation and add value to their work. Through the restructuring, we must understand the extent of the establishments and their role in each mission. Heads of Mission must be capable people to link our country to the global world.

They must identify investment opportunities for the country and cultivate strategic allies to help us meet our needs on the international stage. They are not there for holiday or solely welcoming government officials at airports.

The Honorable Minister also presented a reform proposal to establish a Career Diplomatic Service and a diplomatic school to train our personnel. The establishment of a Career Diplomatic Service will stop the tendency of sending political sycophants to foreign missions and the subsequent recalls every time a new regime is ushered in.

 I assured the Minister that the administration of His Excellency President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera will support the proposal especially with the fact that the legal framework on the proposal is being worked on already.

The ministry also indicated it is reviewing the VIP access at our international airports so that the abuse that has prevailed there is stopped. I have also recommended that an audit on diplomatic passports be carried out to review holders with the aim of reducing abuse.

In addition, the ministry will have a purpose-built building as well as acquire VVIP vehicles for specific use such as state visits by Heads of State and other VVIPs. The speed, energy and political leadership being shown by the Minister is commendable. Going forward, we will have a roadmap to ensure that we are all on the right track towards implementation.

This afternoon, I will engage the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare.

Saulos Chilima has shown a tenacity to make headlines. However, we are still waiting for the results of the initiatives he undertook in the DPP.