Lack of Legal framework cited as a challenge in NDP implementation

Lack of Legal framework cited as a challenge in NDP implementation

Kasempa, February, 28,  2013, ZANIS —- Pro-Poor Economic Justice has cited lack of a legal frame work as a challenge in the implementation the National Decentralization Policy (NDP).

Pro-Poor Economic Justice Project Officer Isaac Mungala notes that giving powers to the Local Service Commission to appoint Staff contradicts the idea of empowering the people in decision making and defeats the purpose of decentralization which is aimed at providing quality services to the local people.

“The implementation of the National Decentralization Policy by government in the absence of a legal frame work remains a challenge,” he said.

Mr. Mungala was speaking today during a stakeholders meeting on Town Planning and Public Service Delivery which was organized by the Catholic Diocese of Solwezi, District.

He further said according to the NDP,  government was supposed to adopt the Nation-wide and Capacity Ladder approach in the implementation of the policy.

He said the move has contrary gone to the pilot approach where devolution will be applied selectively both geographically and thematically.

Mr. Mungala noted that using the pilot approach creates a challenges to stakeholders as government has not explained the backtracking  and makes it difficult to trust the government  as to whether it would stick to the process or not.

He observed that the challenges of adopting the pilot approach in the decentralization process are evidenced in councils such Kasempa  District Council where out 27 senior and middle management positions only seven are occupied while twenty are vacant.

He disclosed that the assessment which was carried out in December last year indicated that the local authority in Kasempa had rated itself above average despite operating with twenty vacancies for senior and middle management positions.]

Mr. Mungala further said the annual expenditure by the council indicates a surplus of K 1,500,000,000 while the institution complained of inadequate finances.

“ The average annual expenditure was estimated at KR 1, 200,000, local revenue at KR 200,000 while government grant KR 500,000 and other sources KR2,000,000, this clearly indicates a surplus of K1,500,000,000,” he disclosed.

He explained that such a contradiction on the average annual income is evidence that government has not done much of awareness on decentralization being that Kasempa is among the selected  pilot areas in implementing the NDP.