Zambian leader creates new ministries

Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Friday announced the creation of new ministries as part of his government's efforts to improve service delivery.

The Zambian leader, in his speech to the Fifth Session of the 11th National Assembly, decided to create new ministries by splitting some already existing ministries.

Lungu, in his first address to Members of Parliament which was also broadcast live on state television since winning the January 20 presidential election, decided to remove national planning function from the Ministry of Finance and formed a new Ministry of Development Planning while the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education has been split into the Ministry of General Education and the Ministry of Higher Education.

Other ministries that have been split include the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development, resulting in the creation of the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development and the Ministry of Energy and Water Development while the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication has also been split into the Ministry of Works and Supply and the Ministry of Transport and Communication.

The Zambian leader has also split the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock into the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

The Zambian leader further detached the function of mother and child health from the Ministry of Community Development and moved the function to the Ministry of Health while the Ministry of Gender and Child Development has been renamed the Ministry of Gender as the function of child development has been moved to the Ministry of Youth and Sports which now becomes the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development.

"To implement our transformation agenda, we need a visionary leadership at all levels, a clear master plan for sustainable development and a merit based public service,"he said.

Source: XINHUA