President approves task forces
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has approved the establishment of task forces to oversee the execution of certain priority development projects and programmes, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, has said.
Addressing heads of ministries at a workshop in Harare yesterday, Dr Sibanda said these task forces include the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on the Hot Spot Road Rehabilitation Programme and the InterMinisterial Task Force on the Implementation of Approved Priority Development Projects.
The resurrected Task Force on the Hot Spot Road Rehabilitation Programme will be chaired by the Secretary in Vice President Chiwenga’s office Retired Major General Godfrey Chanakira, .
Rtd Major General Chanakira will be deputised by the Secretary responsible for the District Development Fund (DDF) Mr James Jonga,.
Other members of the Task Force are Secretaries for Finance and Economic Development, Transport and Infrastrucrural Development, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing as well as representatives from Zinara, CMED and other road authorities.
“The programme will commence soon, with funding from the ZB Bank,” said Dr Sibanda.
He said the task force’s terms of reference were to evaluate the state of roads in urban, rural and associated public works infrastructure.
The task force was also mandated to prioritise road rehabilitation, coordinate and monitor the rehabilitation programme as well as raising funding for the programmes.
It is also mandated to convey regular reports to Cabinet through the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development and to work closely with officials from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on the implementation of identified urban renewal projects.
“The Task Force should commence operations as a matter of urgency. We have to comprehensively deal with the challenge of potholes on our roads, which is being worsened by the current rains,” said Dr Sibanda.
He said the inter-Ministerial Task Force on the Implementation of Approved Priority Development Projects will be chaired by deputy chief secretary Justine Mupamhanga, who will be deputised by Secretary Willard Manungo.
Other members of the Task Force are Secretaries for Industry and Commerce, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Finance and Economic Development, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Primary and Secondary Education, Transport and Infrastructural Development, Mines and Mining Development, Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Dr Washington Mbizvo, representing the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA).
Dr Sibanda said in discharging its mandate, the terms of reference for this Task Force shall be to monitor and ensure timely implementation of approved priority projects. He said such projects should include approved Government projects, investment projects involving private investors as well as joint venture partners.
The Task Force is also mandated to prepare regular progress reports for the information of Cabinet.
“As Heads of Ministries and parastatals, you should diligently follow up on the implementation of key development programmes under your purview, and in cases where challenges are encountered, to act proactively in order to ensure that their implementation remains on track,” said Dr Sibanda.
He said work was currently underway to realign Cabinet Committees to Vision 2030 and to the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP). He said this exercise involves the reconfiguration of some existing Committees, disbanding of others and creation of new ones. Dr Sibanda said the refocused Committees will bear the responsibility for drawing up sector specific priority projects and programmes, deriving on the pillars of the TSP.
He said the priority projects and programmes so designed will be implemented through clusters comprising the relevant line Ministries and the requisite budgetary resources should be pooled from the respective line Ministries’ vote allocations.
“This approach, in my view, will, among other things, place priority focus on the implementation of vision 2030 and the TSP as well as enhancing crossfunctional collaboration in the implementation of key projects.
“Furthermore, rather than expend our energies in evaluating performance of intermediate activities, this approach will enable us to measure the performance of teams involved on projects and programmes,” said Dr Sibanda.
Dr Sibanda said following establishment of the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) by the President, Government was also expected to organise itself along the lines of the TSP pillars to effectively interface with the PAC.
Speaking at the same occasion, Public Service Commission chairperson Dr Vincent Hungwe said the PSC will soon roll out a new training culture to support the implementation of the TSP and Vision 2030.
He said the Commission has already started engaging line Ministries and other stakeholders to identify the new training needs brought about by implementation of the TSP and Vision 2030 as well as the devolution programmes.
“The courses will promote efficient delivery of services to the people of Zimbabwe and investors in the new dispensation. The courses will train the new officers in Government, local authorities and parastatals to attract the much needed investment. The Commission’s thrust is to make civil servants facilitators of economic development and investment promotion,” said Dr Hungwe.