Restructuring of the Office of the President and Cabinet by President Peter Mutharika has received applause from various stakeholders describing it as “rational decision”.

According to the release issued on Sunday states that, the Office of the President and Cabinet shall revert to its core business of management of the public service and cabinet affairs.

The restructuring process has seen the departments of HIV/Aids and Nutrition and of safe motherhood being moved to the Ministry of Health while Presidential Initiative on Poverty and Hunger Reduction has been relocated to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.

Commenting on the move, Political analyst Henry Chingaipe welcomed the development saying ‘the reforms will bring some unity of purpose in the provision of services’.

“We have always said they were unnecessary and they were a huge cost and sometimes they were bringing in coordination difficulties. So, it is a rational decision which brings efficiency and unity of purpose in the provision of services,” Chingaipe said.

Concurring with Chingaipe, Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen) Executive Director Martha Kwataine said the transfer of safe motherhood and HIV/Aids programmes to the Ministry of Health will reduce the gap which was their between these two department.

Since Mutharika was elected as President of the country on May 20, he has been preaching of the restructuring process of the Civil Service to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.