WINDHOEK
The Office of the Prime Minister yesterday announced the reshuffle of ten permanent secretaries as a way to improve performance and quality of service.
At a meeting attended by permanent secretaries with their ministers, and the Deputy Prime Minister Dr Libertina Amathila, Prime Minister Nahas Angula said the ten would assume duty tomorrow August 1, 2007.
The re-deployment entails the transfer of the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Steve Katjiuanjo, to the Ministry of Justice and Office of the Attorney General. Katjiuanjo will take over from Lidwini Shapwa, who will move to the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement Frans Tsheehama will move to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, and Nangula Mbako goes to the Office of the Prime Minister.
Ministry of Environment and Tourism Permanent Secretary Dr Malan Lindeque will serve in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, while Andrew Ndishishi goes to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry.
Kahijoro Kahuure in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry will move to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, while Kalumbi Shangula will take over Lindeque’s position in Environment and Tourism.
From the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Loine Katoma will be redeployed to serve in the Cabinet Secretariat and Mbeuta Uandjarakana will take Katoma’s position.
Prime Minister Nahas Angula said the reshuffle should not be seen as yet another change of guard of permanent secretaries, but as a first step in government’s drive towards ensuring on-going quantitative and qualitative improvement in the performance of every office.
“Permanent secretaries will be subjected to performance indicators, which will serve as a yardstick to determine if the levels of output of services agreed upon have been delivered, whether deadlines have been met, and whether the expected levels of output have been reached,” the Prime Minister said.
He said as accounting officers, permanent secretaries should work closely with ministers in making critical choices regarding national development priorities.
He urged them to turn the new challenges in their new offices into opportunities.
The initiative to reshuffle office-bearers is necessary for effective and efficient delivery of services.
Angula said much of the management and administration is reactive, complacent and blame-apportioning driven and not goal-oriented and achievement-driven.
“When President Hifikepunye Pohamba took office two and half years ago, he committed his administration to deliver efficient, effective and accountable service to the populace,” said Angula.
Government has decided to retool its machinery, deepen its delivery strategies and refocus its operations and that means offices, ministries and agencies should develop measurable strategic plans, he said.
The Prime Minister also said one of the important resources to be factored into service delivery is time.
“Time management and unreserved commitment are crucial to service delivery to the people,” he said.