We join other progressive Zambians in applauding President Lungu for separating the different Ministries which had become inefficient due to their size.
President Lungu yesterday split the ministries of education, mines, works and supply and agriculture to create efficiency and lessen bureaucracy that characterises such bloated ministries.
It is heartening to note that since the Patriotic Front government came into power, it has decentralised operations that led to gross inefficiency because of operational difficulties and other problems that come with managing big entities.
Since the PF Government approved the long-awaited National Decentralisation Policy to promote people’s participation in democratic governance at the local level, provinces and districts have been empowered to manage their own affairs for effective social economic development.
In February this year President Edgar Lungu clarified the earlier splitting off some government Ministries as intended to enhance efficiency in the delivery of services.
The decentralisation exercise was effected early when the PF came into power, when the Party reduced the number of ministries from 26 to 20 in an apparent response to demands by Zambians for the government to save costs by making   a lean Cabinet.
Although President Edgar Lungu had been elected on continuity pledge, he was however as a new President, entitled to policy review.
Thus, he was entitled to promote things that worked well during his predecessor Michael Sata’s tenure of office at the same time reviewing things that didn’t work well in order to improve service delivery and efficiency.
The man has done this enviably by massive decentralisation to promote efficiency which will certainly compliment his economic crusade.
Scholars of development know that decentralisation has several advantages among them reducing the burden on top executives since centralisation of authority puts the whole responsibility on the shoulders of an executive and his immediate group.
Decentralisation also enables executives in the organisation to get the opportunity to develop their talents by taking the initiative which will also make them ready for managerial positions.
Decentralisation ensures better control and supervision as the subordinates at the lowest levels will have the authority to make independent decisions.
As a result, they have thorough knowledge of every assignment under their control and are in a position to make amendments and take corrective action.
This has already borne fruition by ensuring government operations that
were done by a few people are spread out to fewer officers to enhance efficiency.
With such a progressive exercise, it is strange to hear some dissenting voices from some opposition members and sections of the media who are good at criticising anything coming from State House or the government.
This misguided clique is now on a pointless campaign trail to condemn
anything from the party and its government.
No matter how progressive a policy is, some of our good friends in the opposition and media will twist it to paint the party and its government in bad light.
As a paper whose motto is ‘forward with the nation’ we won’t be distracted by the wolf pack but will champion policies that would benefit every Zambian.