By Alieu Amara Suwu
During the ongoing Budget Hearing session at the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Hon. Minister of Public Administration and Political Affairs (MoPAPA), Amara Kallon, addressed key responsibilities of MoPAPA, particularly in assessing vital institutions like the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO), and the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU).
This assessment is aimed at identifying strategies to strengthen these institutions’ capacities for implementing reforms and regulating the public service.
Minister Kallon took the opportunity to clarify misconceptions regarding the Ministry’s role, emphasizing its transformative evolution from the Ministry of Political and Public Affairs (MPPA) to the Ministry of Public Administration and Political Affairs (MoPAPA).
He highlighted the ministry’s significant achievements and its roadmap for 2024.
Addressing a diverse audience of MoPAPA and MoF staff, civil society members, and representatives from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in one of the conference rooms at MoF, Minister Kallon outlined MoPAPA’s goals for 2024, supported by funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Key initiatives include the development of a National Public Service Transformative Strategy, the gazetting of the Ministry’s mission, vision, and mandate, and the reactivation of the Public Service Steering Committee.
Minister Kallon also reviewed the Ministry’s achievements in 2024, such as the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Central Agency for Organization and Administration of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
This MOU is focused on institutional strengthening and knowledge exchange. Additionally, the Ministry, in collaboration with the PSRU, hosted a symposium aimed at gathering public opinion on revamping the public service architecture.
In his remarks, Minister Kallon expressed MoPAPA’s commitment to supporting the PSC and HRMO in the development of Sierra Leone’s first-ever Public Service Act. He mentioned the Ministry’s ongoing assessments of key institutions involved in regulating the public service as part of its broader reform agenda.
The Minister further highlighted MoPAPA’s efforts to rebrand and transform, including opening its doors to interns as part of the National Youth Service (NYS) Program. This initiative is designed to build the next generation of leaders and strengthen the nation’s workforce.
He noted the Ministry’s collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Civic Education to support the digitalization of the public service architecture, which is essential for changing public perceptions and narratives.
Minister Kallon also discussed the challenges facing the Ministry, including limited office space, inadequate financial resources, a lack of mobility and essential tools such as computers and printers, and the duplication of functions.
In closing, Minister Kallon reaffirmed MoPAPA’s mandate to provide political and technical leadership in revamping the public service, positioning it as a key player in the government’s strategic framework for 2024-2030, aligned with the Big 5 game changers for Sierra Leone’s socioeconomic transformation and development.
