Joseph Mwamunyange
4 February 2008
Tanzania has launched the second phase of its public sector reforms, having unearthed more than 7,000 ghost workers in the first phase and removed them from its payroll.
During the launch of the Public Service Reform Programme II (PRSP II), President Jakaya Kikwete said reforms under the Civil Service Reform Programme I focused on cost containment and restructuring of the government with the overall aim of having a small and affordable government.
He further said that the government achieved its goals of redefining the roles and functions of government, concentrating on its core functions - downsizing government operations and controlling government expenditure, especially the wage bill.
"Furthermore, positive results were realised in controlling the problem of ghost workers and in enhancing the welfare of staff, bearing in mind their competencies, experience and economic ability of the government to pay," said President Kikwete.
The first phase saw the beginning of decentralisation processes designed to devolve power to the lower organs of government in order to improve service delivery.
Some achievements of the phase, which ended last December, included the institutionalisation of performance management systems in public institutions; harmonisation of national planning and budgeting processes; instituting a performance-based accountability framework by having an open performance review and appraisal system; introduction of an open, competitive and merit based recruitment system.
The objective of Phase II is to support the attainment of a high rate of economic growth and ensure that delivery of quality public services within priority sectors conforms to public expectations of value, satisfaction, and relevance by the end of 2012.
It is designed to achieve its strategic objectives through ministries, departments and agencies that would be required to implement seven key result areas.
These are systems to support service delivery by the ministries, departments and agencies; policy development; pay incentives and rewards; accountability and responsiveness to the public; systems for managing public servants; leadership development, and change management and reform co-ordination.
According to President Kikwete, it is however obvious that despite the achievements resulting from interventions carried out in the first two programmes, service delivery is still far from satisfactory.
The PSRP was designed to complete and sustain the structural and institutional reforms started during the Civil Service Reform Programme.
The goal has been to re-engineer the whole structure of the public service. Over time, the role of the government has been changing from an emphasis on service provisions to a system of service facilitation, managed through contracts with private sector suppliers.
Semi-autonomous government agencies have been created over time to provide services on a commercial basis and regulate different sectors. These are the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, National Bureau of Statistics, Tanzania Meteorological Authority, Government Chemist Laboratory, Tanzania Airports Authority, Business Registration and Licensing Authority, Surface and Marine Transport Authority, Energy and Water Utilities Authority, among others.
Before the launch of the Integrated Human Resources and Payroll System under PSRP I, the government used to pay more than $6.25 million (using the year 2000 exchange rates) a year in salaries and allowances to ghost workers.
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