WE WILL DELIVER – CABINET

IN pursuit of their mandate from the Throne, Sibaya and the Programme of Action, Cabinet has vowed to deliver a transformative approach to improve service delivery, unlock economic growth and prosperity for every Liswati.

Cabinet made the promise to work tirelessly for the good of the country yesterday on the last day of their five-day retreat hosted for them and principal secretaries at the Royal Villas since last week.

This was after His Majesty King Mswati III delivered 35 directives last Friday when opening the Third Session of the 12th Parliament and Members of Parliament (MPs) said they would no longer entertain excuses and pledged to hold Cabinet accountable.

The legislators said they would also provide strict oversight in the budget allocations, highlighting that the King called for improved service delivery when opening the session.

When delivering his preamble during the closing of the Cabinet retreat, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini reaffirmed their collective responsibility to deliver the mandate of His Majesty and the aspirations of the nation as articulated through the 2023 Sibaya People’s Parliament, operationalised by the National Development Plan and the Nkwe Programme of Action (PoA).

He said Cabinet recognises that the Nkwe mandate calls for accelerated, decisive delivery to stimulate fast, inclusive economic growth, end poverty, eradicate corruption, create employment, develop enabling infrastructure, and strengthen the health and education systems.

He added that Cabinet acknowledged that through concerted efforts they would foster lasting prosperity and holistic well-being for all citizens, positioning the kingdom as a developed, inclusive, peaceful and stable country anchored in cultural heritage and unlocking the potential of every citizen for generations to come, contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Cabinet was also committed to improving data quality and safeguarding data sovereignty.

“In accordance with the Speech from the Throne, Cabinet identifies urgent priorities requiring decisive solutions in the shortage of drugs and medical supplies, foot and mouth disease (FMD), gender-based violence (GBV), substance abuse, gangsterism and other social challenges, and fragmented digitalisation and infrastructure development,” he said.

Meanwhile, the ministers made six declarations and were led by the premier.

The ministers vowed to transform the country through effective execution by:

• Providing leadership alignment to one government philosophy and value-based leadership

• Providing flagship priorities, ambitions and bold decisions

• Attaining deliverology

• Achieving programme-based planning and budgeting

• Enhancing coordination

The ministers also vowed to provide civil service reform, performance management and fiscal discipline, financing and growth sustainability.

Under deliverology, they declared that they would adopt the science of delivery as a transformative approach to improve service delivery, unlock economic growth and prosperity for every local citizen.

The ministers undertook to adopt impact-driven governance to illustrate a clear shift from policy to impact felt by citizens.

Dlamini stated that Cabinet would achieve this shift by:

• Adopting impact-driven governance

• Refining policies through evidence and citizen feedback

• Establishing clear performance agreements to ensure leaders are accountable for measurable improvements

The ministers resolved to institutionalise digital dashboards and scorecards for real-time monitoring, evaluation and accountability.

They also resolved to establish a unified delivery architecture integrating Cabinet, ministries and agencies for coordinated execution.

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Cabinet further committed to strengthening and resourcing the Policy and Programming Coordination Unit (PPCU) to function as the central delivery unit, driving alignment, resolving bottlenecks, digitising planning and monitoring, and escalating critical issues to Cabinet.

“We resolve to improve the business environment, including leveraging a National Investment Council and SBR National Competitiveness Council to fast-track decision-making in resolving critical investment barriers and policy decisions,” said the Prime Minister.

The ministers also declared that they would:

• Foster inter-ministerial cooperation

• Strengthen engagement with Parliament, the private sector, civil society and development partners

• Adopt adaptive management practices

• Ensure disciplined execution of plans

• Embed a culture of continuous learning and adaptation

• Enforce regular, transparent reporting cycles, including bi-annual progress and financial reviews

“Through these measures, Cabinet affirms its commitment to impactful governance and the sustained advancement of the people,” said the Prime Minister.