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Hire teachers,doctors soon after studies
2006-03-08 08:01:37
By Joyce Mkinga
President Jakaya Kikwete has called for direct employment of teachers and doctors to offset the deficit of professionals in the country.
President Kikwete said there was no need of forcing teachers and doctors to apply for jobs because the country faces an acute shortage of qualified personnel, hence they should be employed without having to apply for the jobs.
’There is no reason for them to complete their studies then wait for job advertisements,’ Kikwete said when he visited the Ministry of Public Service Management, yesterday. The ministry falls under the Office of the President.
The President said that the mode of recruitment used to hire professionals in the two disciplines is out of step with the prevailing reality in the country.
He said that as soon as they completed their studies and attained the necessary qualifications they should be employed immediately.
He said that they should not be subjected to interviews before they are employed.
’The college and their performance in examinations summarise everything – that is, whether they are suitable for the job or not,’ he said.
The President said there were complaints about the mode of hiring. He said he shared the same sentiments because the country does not make use of the doctors and teachers it trains.
’Unless there is a law that prohibits the system, then we should go on with the current procedure. But even if such a law exists, it should be changed. The system you are using now is replete with loopholes for corruption,’ he said.
Kikwete called for a vibrant civil service that is able to rise to the challenges of serving the country competently.
He said that, although there have been tremendous improvements in the civil service, more needs to be done to improve it.
The President said the biggest problem with Tanzanian civil service is its failure to adhere to professionalism, at times failing to acknowledge receipt of letters.
’It is important to acknowledge that you received a letter and that something is being done instead of keeping quiet,’he said, adding that some civil servants have made their offices a place where they can meet friends and relatives while the public suffers.
The President said the ongoing reforms in the civil service should take into account monitoring the performance of lower cadre workers.
He gave, as an example, water engineers and lands officers who are sent to the district councils but are neither supervised by the ministry nor the councils, hence they are left to do their own things.
’They constitute a cadre that has been left to rot. We invest a lot of money in training these people but they are rotting in the councils,’ he said.
He said it is important for the reforms to incorporate efficiency monitoring for better results.
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