The challenge of sustaining a professional civil service amidst shifting political coalitions: The case of the Ministry of Finance in Zambia, 1991-2018
'Investigating Pockets of Effectiveness in Developing Countries: A New Route to Building State Capacity for Development' project
Abstract
Zambia experienced a decade of strong economic growth from 2004 to 2014, averaging 7.4 percent a year. This growth has been linked, first and foremost, to the rise of copper prices and international debt relief, but also to the relatively high bureaucratic performance under President Mwanawasa바카라 사이트™s presidency. This era was preceded by sweeping and controversial reforms that led to the privatisation of state-owned companies and the mining industry and the reduction and reform of the civil service. Both periods saw strong-minded leaders in the Ministry of Finance, who enjoyed support from State House, a prerequisite for the functioning of the Ministry. The productive cooperation between President Mwanawasa and Minister of Finance Ng바카라 사이트™andu Magande (2003-2008) was not sustained for very long. The bureaucratic decline and political direction from State House from 2011 onwards expressed itself in a weakening of professionalism and loss of sense of direction within the Ministry of Finance. It has also resulted in a decrease in economic growth, despite sustained copper prices, and a growing debt crisis. National and international political settlements and ministerial leadership are determining factors in the functioning of Zambia바카라 사이트™s Ministry of Finance.
This work is part of the Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre programme
Citation
Hinfelaar, M., and Sichone, J. (2019) The challenge of sustaining a professional civil service amidst shifting political coalitions: The case of the Ministry of Finance in Zambia, 1991-2018. ESID Working Paper No. 122. Manchester, UK: The University of Manchester.
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