Vice President takes Malawi 2063 to HR experts
Vice President Saulos Chilima has urged human resource (HR) managers to get familiar with Malawi’s long-term development blueprint, Malawi 2063, as they are a key driver of transformation and national development.
He was speaking on Thursday when he graced the opening of this year’s Institute of People Management in Malawi (IPMM) annual conference in Mangochi Mangochi.
Chilima said, as the fifth enabler in the Malawi 2063 is about human capacity development, HR practitioners would play a critical role in nurturing a competitive workforce for national development.
He challenged HR practitioners to play their rightful role of championing implementation of the aspirations embedded in Malawi 2063.
The call comes as President Lazarus Chakwera is today expected to grace the launch of the first Malawi 2063 Implementation Plan (MIP1), a 10-year plan where detailed strategies and flagship projects to be implemented within the first decade have been defined and prioritised.
Chilima said Malawi 2063 and MIP1 emphasise the role of the private sector, both as an engine of growth and a major driver for transformation.
“In this case, the private sector includes IPMM, hence being called upon to rise to the occasion to ensure that the document is domesticated in workplaces.
“Employers must be able to speak to it even during interviews,” Chilima said.
He said the country’s greatest competitive advantage remains its people, and that implementation of the long-term development agenda would solely rely on human capital.
IPMM President Godwin Ng’oma affirmed the HR professional body’s commitment to contributing towards national economic development, among other things.
“We are committed to contributing towards the national economic development agenda. As key players in the world of work, we are duty-bound to ensure that we contribute effectively and efficiently towards national economic development,” Ng’oma said.
About 400 HR managers from both the public and private institutions are gathered in Mangochi for annual conference.
The three-day indaba was held under the theme Embracing Professionalism, Ethical Behaviour and Integrity in Human Resource Management in the Changing World.
Meanwhile, the institute is advocating tabling of the Human Resource (HR) Management in Malawi Bill in Parliament, which, once turned into law, would regulate the HR profession in the country.
If adopted, the law will help govern the profession and improve its effectiveness.
Among other things, if passed into law, the Bill would make it mandatory for HR professionals to be members of the institute.
