NDCs & municipalities cannot be complacent

Dear Editor,
Our NDCs and municipalities must by now have developed a vision for the development of their neighbourhoods and towns. They must be proactive, and work assiduously to improve the way they do things, and the results derived therefrom, in order to facilitate improvements in terms of the range and quality of services provided to residents; and so develop viable communities that would sustain their own development programmes, and by extension themselves.
Let me posit a number of measures which you ought to take, or strengthen if they are already in place, in order to bring about the desired livelihood improvements about which I speak:
Reduce dependency on Central Government for financial resources by, inter alia, enhancing and widening revenue base and reducing expenses. Optimise collection of what is due to the Council in the form of rates and taxes, market fees, building application fees etc. Utilise revenue collected efficiently, and account for same.
Remember that under the Fiscal Transfers Act 2015, the local authority can receive grants from donor agencies to finance projects or meet employment costs. It can also borrow money from the commercial banks and other financial institutions, provided it has the required collateral/ability to repay.
More money available to Council necessarily means that more resources are available to pay better salaries, attract a better quality of staff, and to train and upgrade them. It means also that the Council and its staff can reach out with greater frequency and over a much wider population, listening to their concerns and working with them to address those concerns. More and better services can be provided to citizens.
There is a role and contribution to development for private enterprise in Local Government Areas, small though their impact may be. To the extent that these interventions make a small impact on unemployment figures and provide goods and/or services: eg clothing and textile, supermarkets, wash bay, restaurants etc., it is nevertheless a case of action speaking louder than words.
The local authorities must provide incentives to encourage private enterprise. The Government is not doing so; but certainly, our local authorities can.
Expand and improve the quality of the infrastructure and other services provided by the Council: including servicing of kokers and pumps, cleaning of canals and drains, collection and disposal of garbage, daycare for elderly, street lighting, market/tarmac facilities, cemeteries etc; thereby providing employment and extending the range and quality of services provided by the local authority working in conjunction with private enterprise, thus enhancing service delivery and widening citizens’ involvement.
Demand proper financial accounting and reporting. Council’s financial affairs must not be shrouded in secrecy. Increase public awareness and education. Hold community meetings with greater regularity, and have activities such as Flag Raising, Day of Sports, and religious events such as Diwali, Christmas Day, Eid ul Adha, which bring people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and classes together; and provide also income-earning opportunities on such occasions.
Auditing of financial records of Municipal and Neighbourhood Councils, as per requirements of the Local Government and Municipal Legislation, must be done; and reports, including financial reports, must be presented to the statutory meetings of the Council for discussion. So that while efforts to intensify revenue- collection must be encouraged, so also must accountability to the Council and the residents for these resources.
We cannot be complacent if we are to build effective local governance with its benefits to the people.

Sincerely,
Norman Whittaker
Former Local Government Minister