President reshuffles Permanent secretaries

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:49:44 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO and SIMON MUNTEMBA

 PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has reshuffled some Permanent Secretaries (PSs) in a bid to streamline government operations and curb the abuse of government resources.

And the Head of State has promoted director for strategic planning in the management development division at Cabinet office Kashell Mwenya to permanent secretary in charge of remuneration division.

Mr Mwenya takes over from Dr Ronald Simwinga who has been transferred to Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of a new portfolio of administration which has been created to promote efficiency and effective service delivery.

President Lungu has also with immediate effect transferred Ministry of National Development Planning (PS) Dr Auxilia Ponga to the Ministry of Gender to replace Dr Felix Phiri who has been moved to Ministry of General Education to be in charge of administration.

This is according to a statement issued to the Daily Nation by President Lungu’s Special Assistant for press and public relations Amos Chanda announced the transfers in Lusaka yesterday.

Mr Chanda said President Lungu had resolved to create the positions of permanent secretary in charge of administration as part of the restructuring process at the Ministry to ensure prudent use of government resources and prevention of abuse of resources.

He explained that the Head of State made the changes in accordance with the provisions of article 92(2) (e) and 92 (1) of the constitution of the republic of Zambia.

And earlier at State House, President Lungu swore in Ms Joyce Sundano as controller of internal audits for the Ministry of Finance, Mr Kashell Mwenya as permanent secretary for remuneration division at Cabinet Office, Mr Joseph Chilengi as the ambassador to Turkey and Mr Evaristo Kalonga as commissioner of prisons for Zambia Correctional Services.

 “This requirement has prompted me to make changes in ministries by streamlining functions of a few government ministries which are too huge for one person to handle,” Mr Lungu said.

President Lungu said that it should no longer be a norm to be reactive to situations when it was already too late.

He said that the requirement for strengthening internal controls had prompted him to make changes in government ministries by streamlining functions to reduce overloads.

Meanwhile, President Lungu advised Ms Sundano to ensure that financial irregularities in government institutions were curbed and controlled before it was too late.

He called on the newly appointed commissioner of prisons to come up with solutions that would help address congestion in correctional facilities.

The President also urged Mr Chilengi to strengthen ties and trade relations with Turkey, adding that the newly sworn in ambassador had ample experience from the African Union.