Good governance for provincial governments
 

by Ananda Kannangara

The main objective of conducting the two-day Transparent Accountable Local Governance (TALG) symposium and the workshop is to promote mid- term development plans for the benefit of people and improve good governance in Sri Lankan local Government institutions.

In an interview with the 'Sunday Observer', Asia Foundation, Chief of Party/Director Ms. Alix Yule said that the two-day symposium, started in Colombo yesterday (November 4) is to provide assistance to Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya sabhas to carry out future activities in their respective areas.

Below are the extracts from the interview.

Question: Do you think our local authorities need to improve good governance?

A: Our objective is to conduct this symposium and the workshop is to motivate and encourage them to implement many development plans for future activities.

Q: You have named the program as Transparent Accountable Local Governance (TALG) program? state the reason for that.

A: The work carried out by the local authorities must be transparent. Whenever they start any work in their respective areas, citizens must be educated in order to seek their views. Under accountability, citizens should be given the opportunity to demand the facilities they need from their respective local institutions.

Q: Why do you say that our local authorities need good governance?

A: The local authorities must do a commendable service to the community. Therefore they must be given necessary instructions and training on the work they have to carry out.

That's why they need good governance. If we improve good governance by giving them a better training on various fields, many problems could be solved easily. For example, garbage will be removed in time, drains will be cleaned properly, water will not get accumulated during rainy days, a proper waste management system could be introduced and the mosquito breeding grounds could be cleaned.

Q: What are the local authorities that are under your purview?

A: We have to focus attention towards the local authorities in Central province, North Central Province, North Eastern Province, Southern Province and the Uva Province.

Q: What councils are performing a better service to the people?

A: According to our surveys, the local authorities at Wariyapola, Nuwara Eliya and Tangalle perform a better service.

Q: In Sri Lanka many local Government institutions still have no proper plans to increase their revenue. Most of them depend on the central Government?

A: That's why I said they need more training to study the ways how to generate their revenue.

However they should not depend always on state funds. The local institutions must collect taxes and also use state properties for viable purposes to increase the revenue.

Q: Do you offer overseas training to officials in our local government institutions?

A: Yes, at least 40 officials participated in the 'World Urban Forum', held in Canada in 2006 and another group of officials were sent abroad recently.

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