Reconsider decision

I READ with mixed feelings the Government’s decision to abolish the office of chief secretary and wish to provide the alternative views for the Government to reconsider its decision.
While the decision may be based on sound policy advice, I doubt that the Government could achieve its main objectives without clear oversight from the Prime Minister’s Department.
This idea came earlier when I was an advisor and I have always advised former chief secretaries I worked under to restructure the central agency.
Chief secretary should be the overall chief policy advisor and his responsibilities should be more focused in traction of the Government’s decision and manage the bureaucracy.
His duties would be clear under a revised and restructured central agency.
How would the intended restructured Prime Minister’s Department be responsible to manage the vast public service bureaucratic machinery?
The Government should seek wider consultation and allow experts to express their views.
The new look office of chief secretary should be created away from the Prime Minister’s Department to manage the key central agencies functions.
For instance, the education subsidy reforms, SMEs and TVET needs to be monitored for its performances from a coordinated central location.
A single law is required for the creation of a restructured office of the chief secretary than to abolish it.
The danger in abolishing the office will have dire policy implementation implications and the Government would regret its decision.
The Government needs to establish an implementation office that can complement the office of chief secretary.
An alternative might be for the Government to set up the office of Vision 2050 to work closely with the chief secretary. The Prime Minister’s Department and National Executive Council can play policy vetting as it used to do earlier.

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