The move is tailored to target long standing but irregular staffing practices, in a bid to enforce transparency and legality.
Finance Minister Louis Paul Motazé has demanded the immediate removal of all retired personnel and unofficial collaborators at the Finance ministry in a bid to enforce transparency and legality. The move executed through a directive signed by the member of government recently, targets what he describes as long-standing but irregular staffing practices. “Retired personnel and unofficial collaborators are to be removed from their roles without delay,” Minister Motazé said in the outing. The reason cited by the Finance boss include visible persistent irregularities and the need for stricter adherence to administrative rules.
He explained that for years, certain individuals had remained as regular features in the ministry long after retirement with their expertise deemed too valuable to lose. Consultants, informal advisors and external specialists worked alongside official staff without formal recognition with their contributions woven into daily operations. He said some had been there so long that no one questioned their presence anylonger. The minister’s note left no room for ambiguity.
Citing a 2015 prime ministerial circular and his own warnings from 2022, the Minister of Finance emphasized that only those with official ties to the administration should handle ministry’s affairs. The minister’s office assured that the move was about legality not disruption. But questions lingered. The move has raised concerns about disruptions to critical operations and the loss of irreplaceable expertise. Also, beyond the Ministry of Finance, the decision reflected a broader push to modernize the civil service.
With pressure from oversight bodies and international partners, the government was tightening rules, even if it meant unsettling long standing practices, this move will include younger generations with fresh and innovative thinking.
