Commission welcomes law on decentralisation

THE Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) has welcomed the National Executive Council decision to adopt the proposed Organic Law on Decentralisation in place of the current Organic Law.
CLRC secretary Dr Mange Matui said it was a major stepping-stone for the country in the next 50 years.
“Now we will change the whole landscape of how we conduct business and govern our country,” he said.
Dr Matui said since 1975, provinces were only given political decentralisation but the proposed law would ensure a major policy shift towards economic decentralisation to the lower level governments.
“Once the amendment to the proposed law is passed, the provinces will have to work hard through a gradative or the graduation process before they can be elevated and granted autonomy over many areas, including financial powers,” he said.
“Ultimately, provinces will achieve some kind of semi-autonomy.
“The proposed Organic Law on Decentralisation is the direct result of a major constitutional directive from the Government to CLRC for the review of the current Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government in 2014.”
Dr Matui also highlighted the instrumental role CLRC played in reviewing and recommending current changes to the proposed law in 2014.