Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Devie Chilonga has warned the newly recruited Physical Planning Officers to exercise professionalism when discharging their duties saying anyone violating Malawi Public Service Regulation (MPSR) risk dismissal.

Chilonga said this in Blantyre on Tuesday during the opening of the two days’ orientation of the new officers who have already been posted to various districts across the country.

He said the aim of the orientation was to give the new officers an insight of what they are expected to do in their respective districts as physical planners, adding the new officers were also expected to be champions of change in their duty stations.

“Ministry of lands thought it wise to orient these officers so that they know their limits and quickly adapt ways of doing things in districts. They are very key in providing direction of infrastructure development in the districts and whole country at large.

“We do not want them to tarnish the image of the ministry by engaging in various bad things like corruption, rudeness among others. Our ministry is undergoing serious rebranding and nobody should stand on our way to achieve this,” he said.

Chilonga challenged the new employees to change the face of Malawi by bringing improved designs of buildings saying this is the only way Malawi can achieve urbanization pillar of Malawi 2063 development agenda.

He said,” As physical planning experts you should ensure that there are safe and decent houses countrywide. Being a designer and master planner is a huge task that requires honest, integrity and commitment to serve people.

In his remarks, Commissioner for Physical Planning in the Ministry of Lands, Robin Lukasi said the orientation of the new officers provided life time experience since many have theories adding that this was their time to put things into practice.

The commissioner expressed hope that the newly oriented officers will provide quality service such that people will access services right in the districts instead of travelling to regions or headquarters for similar work.

“Ministry of lands is devolving its functions and the recruitment of these officers is to ensure that services should be delivered at the local level. My appeal is that the officers should love their country and deliver services accordingly,” he said.

Among others, the new officers have been drilled in the ministry’s mandate, MPSR, land registration process, overview of physical planning, processes for development of local and district plans, plot allocation procedures, six land related laws among others.

The new officers drawn from all districts are over 28 in total.