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Local government system termed best possible option to achieve MDGs
ISLAMABAD (April 30 2007): The local government system is the best possible option to effectively deliver services and the donors' programme and projects, which are aimed at achieving millennium development goals (MDGs) would be more effective if they remained within the parameters of the LG system, said Daniyal Aziz, chairman, National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) here on Sunday.
Talking to reporters after the conclusion of a two-day 'International Conference on Governing for MDGs', he said the amended Local Government Ordinance (LGO) envisages an ideal and compatible system of governance at the local level. "But vested interests, including overwhelming majority of officials in the bureaucracy want to keep power in their hands instead of devolving them to the people at the grassroots level," he noted.
"All the stakeholders are of the opinion the LG system is perfect and ideally workable, but the non-implementation of local laws in letter and spirit has led many to think that system is not workable," he said, while responding to a question.
He said the ordinance for installing local government in Islamabad and in cantonments has been promulgated by its enforcement would be notified by the cabinet division. Similarly, administrative organs, which have not become functional are pending because of the ill intention of bureaucracy and other vested interest, he said without explaining.
He said over 32,000 citizen community boards have been set up, which are ensuring direct participation of 56 million people in the local development in their respective areas. Similarly, 25 percent of the development budget has been allocated for CCBs which has also ensured the local progress and will give an impetus to the ongoing efforts to achieving the MDGs by 2015.
To a question on the non-creation of the office of district ombudsmen, he said the legislation is there, financial allocation has been made, but again vested interests have foiled the plan by denying local people's prompt access to justice at the local level.
Daniyal said the international conference has also recommended immediate creation of district service cadre under section 140(A) of the LG Ordinance and also stressed the need for notification of efficiency and disciplinary powers of the Nazims and Naib Nazims to empower the Nazims with regard to transfers and postings of the district officer.
The conference recommended that there is a need for treating the transaction cost sector like revenue, police, judiciary and audit and accounts as special sector.
It also recommended that donor programmes and projects would be more effective if they remain within the parameters of local laws and the existing projects must be restructured and aligned to the devolved structures for meeting the MDGs target.
The conference also recommended that all financing of local government functions under the law must be through the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) and the donors need to make efforts towards harmonising their support through the PFC Award. Only conditional grants may be used only to resolve a specific problem.
The conference called for expediting the provincial restructuring in accordance with section 133-A of the LG Ordinance to make them compatible with the local governments. The conference also ruled that a direct election at district and tehsil level would strengthen the local government system. It was also recommended to introduce the subject of governance in the curricula of graduate and post-graduate levels.
Seven different sessions on different key topics relating to good governance at the local level were held in which the experts discussed the issues in achieving the set MDGs, including poverty eradication, universal primary education, gender equality, reduction in child mortality, maternal health, combating diseases, environment sustainability, and developing a global partnership for development. Scholars, experts and researchers from US, India, Singapore and China attended the conference along with national stakeholders, including ministers, officers, and public representatives.
Addressing the conference, Balochistan local Government Minister Maulana Hussain Shrodi said he personally feels that the LG system had failed to deliver according to the expectations of the people. By and large, the LGs are falling far behind the development targets in Balochistan, he added. He called for an end to the confrontation among various stakeholders and government machinery to make the LG system more responsive to address the problem of the masses.
Reference:
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