MUTHARIKA MAKES MINOR CHANGES TO CABINET

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000677

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM ECON PINR PREL MI
SUBJECT: MUTHARIKA MAKES MINOR CHANGES TO CABINET

REF: LILONGWE 520


1. (U) Officials at the Office of the President and Cabinet
(OPC) announced on July 14 that President Bingu wa Mutharika,
who already leads the Ministries of Defense and Civil
Service, will also be responsible for the Ministry of
Statutory Corporations and Privatization. Vice President
Cassim Chilumpha, formerly responsible for the Ministry of
Statutory Corporations and Privatization, will head the
newly-created Ministry of Water Development. In the
announcement, the Ministry of Women, Child Welfare, and
Community Services was also renamed the Ministry of Gender,
Child Welfare, and Community Services.

COMMENT
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2. (SBU) The Ministry of Water Development is the lead GOM
agency for several donor-funded initiatives. Its re-creation
is a result of concerns on the part of the sponsoring donors
that the water sector (and consequently their projects) would
be side-lined, if no specific Ministry took the lead.
RASPOLIC