Governance expert Alexander Nkosi says increasing the number of Government ministries from 24 to 30 does not necessarily mean an increase in bureaucracy or the wage bill.
Mr Nkosi says the realignment under the Grow Zambia Agenda is aimed at giving ministries clear responsibilities and improving efficiency.
He says having fewer ministries does not automatically make Government more efficient, as ministries can still have too many responsibilities and overlapping roles.
Mr Nkosi says Government can control the wage bill by merging departments with similar functions, reviewing vacant positions and assigning existing workers to roles that match their qualifications and experience.
He says this could allow Government to operate 30 ministries without necessarily increasing the number of public service workers or the wage bill.
Mr Nkosi says the success of the realignment will depend on whether the changes improve efficiency and service delivery while controlling Government spending.
By Mike Mwendachabe
