Conflicts retard governance - Canisius Banda

THERE is something wrong with the governance framework of the country with reference to its executive arm, says Dr Canisius Banda a development activist.

He told the Daily Nation that no single person or group of people must be blamed for the country’s status because the problem was the system of governance.

Dr Banda said the current structure stretched or strained the national income purse on one hand and, on the other, it created conflicts amongst office bearers in the execution of their duties, leading to redundancy within it.

“As an example, here cite the headache that is the case of a provincial minister and any given line/service minister. Any provincial minister exists only as a titular figure in the Executive arm of government boasting only of marginal influence on the performance of line or service ministers.

“But when it comes to staffing, emoluments, equipment, administration and function of that clinic, the provincial office, then clearly stuck, will then turn to the line ministry for overall responsibility,” Dr. Banda said.

He however said things must not remain as they were but change for better by getting rid of the controversies and redundancies in duties and roles of those in Government offices.

“Things do not have to be this way. Things can change. In these times of austerity necessitated by an ailing economy and the need for recovery, inspired by the need for fiscal discipline and the spirit of doing more with less.

“Further inspired by the need for optimal performance (efficiency) in the delivery of government services, things must change, our way of doing government business needs to change. Unfortunately, in time, things will change anyway,” he said.

He said this will ensure frugality of Government expenditure and efficiency in performance.

It will rid Government of many things including the current, extant inter-office conflict. “In the end, actual and required decentralisation will be achieved, occasioning development in the communities in accordance with the citizens' thoughts and aspirations,” Dr Banda said.