Working group on govt financing prepares for consultations

THE Technical Working Group (TWG) on the Intergovernmental Financing Arrangement Review (IGFAR) recently held its third workshop in preparation for the national agency consultations this year.
TWG comprises 13 key agencies that are part of the Provincial and Local Level Services Monitoring Authority (PLLSMA) sub-committee on IGFAR, led by the National Economic and Fiscal Commission (NEFC) as chair and Treasury Department co-chair.
According to NEFC, the consultations will gather insights and feedback from national agencies regarding IGFAR, which is part of the Government’s decentralisation policy focused on the critical aspect of fiscal decentralisation, and ensure that the findings from the sub-national consultations are comprehensively addressed within respective agencies.
NEFC chairman and chief executive officer Patrick Painap, when officiating the opening of the workshop on Thursday, commended TWG for its continuous effort in undertaking the technical works surrounding the review IGFAR.
Painap said this had resulted in the tabling of the preliminary report on the sub-national consultation findings and recommendations.
Meanwhile, Department of Prime Minster and National Executive Council (NEC) acting director Chris Banga, also a member of TWG, commended NEFC for leading the review exercise.
He said the review was important as it would pave the way for a revised Intergovernmental Relations (Functions and Funding) Act and would also align government priorities to funding arrangements.