Dear Editor,
As is usually the case, when this Government speaks on any issue, the more gullible public feels elated and expects what was said to bear fruit, if not now then later. They mastered this on the 2015 Elections campaign trail and they perfected it during the Local Government one. But many times what is said is just empty rhetoric to beguile the unsuspecting citizens and to get their continued support. A very popular mantra, which is being sung since this Government took office is ‘local government empowerment’, since it is being said that the previous Government was opposed to empowering local communities.
More recently, the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan has also accused the previous Government of ‘hoarding power at the centre while keeping local governments weak’ and once again reiterated the mantra that this Government ‘is committed to empowering local democratic organs so that they can function maximally’. He further said that the extent to which this Government is committed to this empowerment ‘cannot be overemphasised’. However, the facts paint an entirely different picture!
The Kilcoy/Hampshire NDC submitted a budget proposal for the 2016 subvention and in that subvention we give details of the streets to be repaired and the amount of ‘crusher run’ which will be required. Our subvention of $4 million was subsequently approved by the Ministry. On September 3, we wrote to the Regional Chairman informing him that a unanimous decision was taken at our statutory meeting with regard to the utilisation of the subvention. We stated that it was the will of the residents to do the necessary work in repairing the streets using the NDC’s machinery and equipment and those which are owned by the residents. This was discussed when the subvention proposal was submitted. It was also emphasised that we would get more value for money in this manner than if the works were tendered out.
The Chairman agreed to this and it was agreed that we have the capacity to do the works, since we have an extremely hardworking and capable Works Committee. I relayed this to the NDC and they were very happy about this.
However, on November 1, 2016, we received a curt one-line letter dated October 25 from the Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Claude Henry regretfully informing us that they cannot accede to our request for the crusher since ‘all works were already tendered out’. This is quite strange since we were asked by the RDC as to where we want the crusher run to be deposited! Should we not be informed when the tendering process was taking place? Should we not be involved in the tendering process? Is this the type of ‘empowerment’ which the coalition speaks about?
The coalition through its politically appointed DREO has illegally removed whatever empowerment is given to the NDCs. Section 21(a) of the Procurement Act, Chapter 73:05 says that “The National Board may, at its discretion, create District Tender Boards for procurement by Neighbourhood Democratic Councils…comprising part-time members as follows: (i) two members appointed by the relevant Regional Board; (ii) one member appointed by the relevant NDC”. It must be submitted that this Section serves to give empowerment to the NDCs where goods are to be supplied to them or works to be contracted or tendered out on their behalf. What is even more worrying is the fact that we do not know what projects will be done and by whom and at what cost. Is this ‘empowerment’? Why is it that we were given a subvention of $4 million and then we cannot participate in how it is spent? I am sure that more than 50 per cent of the projects we submitted will not be done because of obvious reasons! This is how the coalition empowers NDCs – it delegates the powers to its politically appointed REOs and DREOs so in effect they are the ones who are ‘hoarding power at the centre while keeping local governments weak’? This is the manner in which they stifles and destroys development at the Local Government level? If this Government and the Minister of Communities are serious about empowerment, then they must ensure that NDCs are empowered to spend their monies as they see fit.
Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf
Chairman
Kilcoy/Hampshire
NDC
