Win for LLGs, rural majority, says Dion

LOCAL level governments and the rural majority have won in the 2013 Budget, Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion says.
Dion, who is also inter-government relations minister, said the appropriation of K1.49 billion to the 19 provinces, 898 districts and 312 local level governments was timely.
“I take my hat off to this government because this is where more than 80% of our population lives.”
Dion told parliament yesterday afternoon that since the Organic Law on provincial and local level governments was passed 18 years ago, the lower levels of government had been neglected and allowed to fend for themselves.
“These are arms of government that are intended to deliver basic goods and services but have been crippled and unable to perform their roles.”
He said with this goodwill, the government would expect prudent management and ultimate responsibility from provincial governors and local level government presidents.
He said state agencies would work closely with the Office of Rural Development and his department to support provinces, districts and LLGs to implement and provide technical support and capacity building where necessary.
“We, at the national level, must focus our planning, programmes and priorities to provide adequate capacity-building assistance to these levels of government to ensure the magnitude of government funding to them is prudently managed in an effective and efficient manner,” Dion said.
“Systems and processes must be operational right from the national level to the provincial, districts and LLG.”