Local govt reform revisited

IN ORDER to enable some comparison between what I advocated in my columns of December 2003 and May 2013 and the PNM manifesto of the 2015 general election, I will reiterate a few of my recommendations: “1. Constitutional provision should be made for the entrenchment of the functions, powers and responsibilities of local government bodies and for their funding and staffing which could not easily be amended or revoked by a governing party.

“2. Their functions should be expanded to include responsibility for activities being carried out by the Ministries of Social Development and Community Development.

“3. Local government bodies should be empowered by acquiring adequate resources to engage in regional planning and establishing priorities to be incorporated in national planning.

“4. Constitutional provision should also be made for the entrenchment of the method of funding of local government bodies. They should be directly funded by the Treasury (Ministry of Finance) via a formula which takes into account population, geographical area, state of existing infrastructure and facilities etc.” I had also proposed the following: “5. The post of Minister of Local Government (and Ministry) should be abolished.” The PNM manifesto for the 2015 general election had the following to say on local government by way of introduction (page 53): “The PNM also believe that there are several tasks and functions now managed by the central government that can be more effectively handled by local government bodies, especially social services and community development functions.

“Additionally, the PNM sees no need for a Ministry of Local Government.

We believe that the regional and municipal corporations should have a direct relationship with the Ministry of Finance … to ensure adequacy of funding and they should be given the autonomy to develop and implement their own regional policies, plans and programmes within the framework of national policy.” So much for comparison. However, my recommendations of December 2003 and May 2013 went much beyond what the PNM had proposed in its 2015 manifesto. I had additionally made the following suggestions: 6. Local government bodies should be responsible for the recruitment, deployment, management and discipline of their staff (supported by expert outside resources as necessary) with an independent appeal mechanism instituted for grievance.

7. In addition to the activities undertaken by the Ministries of Social Development and Community Development, local government bodies should be responsible for the community health services of the Ministry of Health as well as the local school boards and regional education programmes of the Ministry of Education.

8. Functioning community councils should be incorporated in the system of local government (as a mechanism for accountability and interaction with residents).

9. A local government committee of Parliament should be established and the plans and programmes of local government bodies should be submitted to this committee for information and subsequently be accountable to it for performance.

10. Provision should be made to have systems of ongoing internal and external audit whose findings would be subject to review by the local government committee of Parliament.

In its local government consultations held this year, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government identified major impediments which prevented local government bodies from delivering services efficiently, promptly and cost-effectively.

Among them are (a) political interference, manipulation and expediency, (b) inadequate funding, © an overall lack of transparency and equity (accountability might have added).

However the ministry failed to systematically pinpoint how its proposed reforms would address these problems.

In order to insulate local government bodies from political interference and manipulation, I had proposed that their functions, powers and responsibilities as well as the method of funding be given constitutional status which could only be amended by a special majority of Parliament