The Malawi Local Government Service Commission says it is grappling with a 77 percent increase in workload following the transfer of some responsibilities from the Civil Service Commission under the government’s decentralisation policy.
Commission Chairperson Joseph Njobvuyalema disclosed this after a meeting with the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government held on Thursday.
Njobvuyalema said despite the expanded mandate, the commission continues to operate with only four commissioners, a situation he described as unsustainable.
He therefore appealed to relevant authorities to intervene and address the staffing challenges facing the commission.
The chairperson further revealed that although the commission has completed recruitment and promotion processes, the affected officers have not yet assumed their duties.
He explained that this is due to a government directive that temporarily suspended recruitment and promotions across the public service.
Njobvuyalema also expressed concern that the commission is still relying on outdated, insecure and time-consuming record-keeping systems.
He said while there are plans to migrate to modern information management systems, progress has been slow.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government, Edward Chileka Banda, said funds required for the recruited officers to start work are already available.
Banda assured that the committee will continue engaging relevant authorities to ensure the challenges facing the commission are resolved.
