Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Directors don’t seem to be working together in the execution of their respective mandates, President Edgar Lungu has observed.

According to a statement issued by State House chief analyst, press and public relations Cecilia Mulenga, Wednesday, President Lungu has called for closer collaboration among ministers, permanent secretaries and directors who constitute the economic diversification and job creation cluster of the Seventh National Development Plan.

The President expressed concern that lack of collaboration among ministers, permanent secretaries and directors was hampering progress on the implementation of government projects and programmes.

“It is important that we enhance our cooperation as ministers, permanent secretaries and directors to ensure the speedy implementation of government projects and programmes.l I wish to encourage you to work closely as a cluster. You should avoid duplicating the work of the cluster,” President Lungu told the Cluster on Economic Diversification and Job Creation on the implementation of the 7NDP at State House, Wednesday.

President Lungu prodded the Minister of Energy to expedite the diversification of energy by exploiting alternative sources in order to improve power supply.

“We are not moving fast in view of the negative effects of climate change. We need to be interrogating the alternative sources of energy. We have to escalate our efforts,” said President Lungu.

The Cluster, which was represented by Water and Development Minister Dr Dennis Wanchinga, comprises of Ministries of Finance, National Development Planning, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Agriculture, Mines, Labour, Tourism and Energy.

Other ministries include Fisheries, Transport, Housing, Works and Supply, Foreign Affairs and Higher Education.

Meanwhile, President Lungu also met former chief justice Mathew Ngulube , who briefed him on the activities of the SADC oversight committee on Lesotho.