By Alpha Abu
Finance Minister Dennis Vandi has told workers in the Ministry that he will follow the trajectory of his predecessor in attaining economic stability and growth. Vandi was addressing staff during the note handing over ceremony by the erstwhile Minister Jacob Jusu Saffa who is now the new Chief Minister in the office of the President following the recent reshuffle of cabinet and the diplomatic staff.
Vandi told the workers at the well -attended event at the conference hall of the ministry on Wednesday 12 May 2021 that he would be no armchair minister but someone who will be going into offices to interact with staff to make sure work was done. He said Saffa was a very efficient person who handled the ministry very well.
Earlier Saffa spoke about the achievements he made in three years as Minister of Finance which led to the institution being recognised as the best ministry.
Recalling the early moments of taking up office, he said he inherited a situation where there was no organogram and where half of the technical staff were on contract some for up to ten years which he noted “was extremely irregular”. He said during his tenure he ensured the setting up of an organogram and restructuring of the Finance Ministry and told the new minister that he is inheriting a workforce that is competent and which he had no doubt will deliver.
He said the institution’s relationship with MDAs has been very good but admitted of some testy moments with universities over the payroll system. He spoke about some of the reforms in the ministry including the automation of a number of systems and on-going efforts to standardise the duty waiver situation. He said during his time they have been able to stabilise the economy with an improved GDP rate in 2018 and 2019 but admitted of a slump last year. He however hoped for a rebound this year, citing stimulants such as a revived mining sector and more activity in the construction business. Saffa stated that the tourism sector was the hardest hit in the past year due to the pandemic but believed there would also be a turnaround this 2021.
He spoke about the rigors in securing grants and which requires perseverance and constant engagements, without which he said donors will not react favourably. Saffa mentioned the significant contribution of partners like the IMF to the economy of the country and said it would be suicidal to ignore them. He hoped for a productive working relationship between Minister Vandi and the workforce at Finance. “I am gone but I am with Finance”, Saffa stated and assured the new minister of his support when needed.
The event was climaxed by the symbolic handing over of the working documents by Saffa to Minister Vandi. Exactly on the 12 May 2018, Saffa assumed office and three years later on the same date 12 May 2021, a reverse scenario was being played out.
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