Thursday, March 28, 2024

President Lungu urges local authorities to address challenges

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President Lungu g
President Lungu g

President Edgar Lungu has directed local authorities countrywide to address the numerous challenges they face in the delivery of social services.

Mr Lungu said the key challenges faced by local authorities included the improvement of water supply.

The President was speaking in Livingstone today when he officially opened the 59th Annual conference of the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) and the 12th General Assembly of the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders held at Chrismar hotel and whose theme was ”Inclusive Local Governance: Strategy for Success”.

Mr Lungu further urged local authorities to double their efforts to ensure the ”Make Zambia clean campaign” turn into a reality.

He called on rural based local authorities to continuously upgrade township roads and also to open up the remote rural areas.

The President added that the urban local authorities were faced with the challenge of upgrading and maintaining roads including coping with the ever increasing number of vehicles on the roads.

Mr Lungu also urged all local authorities countrywide to address the challenge of how to provide better, decent and planned neighbourhoods in their localities.

”The challenges I have highlighted must be addressed in order to restore lost public confidence in our local government. Local government is the closest point of contact between government and the people,” he said.

He observed that his administration was keen to restore public confidence in the local authorities which was a critical unit of government administration.

”Many people are applying for plots but you don’t give them but you give yourselves and your proxies. If you don’t do what is right, the country will not move forward,” he said.

Mr Lungu noted that most of the challenges currently facing the local government were attributed to past policies that undermined service capabilities in the councils.

He added that since coming into power, his government had recognised the need to devise policies that would enhance the performance of local authorities in an effort to transform them into responsive and more accountable institutions to which end government has scaled up resource allocation to local government.

The President also noted that the Local Government (Amendment) Act no 12 of 2014, which introduced the local government equalisation fund as a substitute for grants was receiving active consideration and assured the local authorities that central government would not unnecessarily interfere with local authorities’ legitimate function of formulation of by-laws, which include local taxes, levies and other revenue generating ventures.

Mr Lungu further observed that while low budgetary allocations could be a contributory factor to service delivery challenges councils face, he realised that the scarcity of highly skilled and motivated personnel at the local government level was another challenge.

”Most local authorities are experiencing staff shortages especially in strategic fields of finance and economic development, engineering, development and spatial planning. My government is actively looking into this deficiency with a view of creating enhanced capacity necessary to expand and expedite service delivery in the local government system. In his regard, I wish to direct the Local Government Service Commission which falls under my office, to urgently streamline recruitment, deployment and monitoring of staff in local authorities,” he said.

The President has also directed the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to expedite the process of upgrading of physical infrastructure and training curriculum at Chalimbana Local Government Training Institute in order to provide senior staff in service training.

Mr Lungu also observed that decentralisation through devolution would play an important role in promoting democratic decision making as well as empowering communities and building capacity.

”Let me assure you of my government’s readiness to continue to dialogue with the Local Government Association of Zambia as a critical stakeholder in the decentralisation programme. We are committed to meeting the 2017 deadline in the implementation process of decentralisation. My government’s unwavering commitment to the decentralisation policy also resulted in our support to the African Union’s decision to adopt the African Charter on the values and principles of decentralisation, local governance and local development in June 2014,” he said.

He also noted that the issue of allowances was hot among councillors.

”One of the burning issues are allowances and they are paid by councils and not government, that is why we want to free you to make whatever money you can, however, I will disown you if you make levies that are not commensurate with the lives of our people, otherwise councils can make their own money and pay what you can afford,” he said.

And Local Government and Housing Minister Dr John Phiri assured the President that he would his best to restore dignity and stability in the local authorities.

He also urged the councils to rise above the current clouds of disorder that included plot sharing and land wrangles.

”Do not occupy the Presidency with land wrangles, give the President a chance to rule. Decentralisation is becoming real and so is the revolving of funds to you. Show that you are ready for the decentralisation process. You represent a ward where our people are and where your leadership is so important,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Head of Development Cooperation at the Federal Republic of Germany Fran Hofmann said his government had the privilege of being the greatest supporter to local government and decentralisation process in Zambia adding that the crucial role of local government could not be overemphasised.

Dr Hoffmann said there was need to share the devolution plans with the public adding that Germany would continue to push for the decentralisation process so as to bring central, provincial and local government together.

”It is important to make decisions transparent and let the local communities participate,” he said.

And LGAZ Vice President Jordan Chipalo bemoaned the plight of the Councillors emoluments adding that the rates the Councillors received were low.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Mr president, how can the council’s deliver what you are saying when all they do is sell properties and land, without even consulting communities.
    Selling is all they know.

    • When they have no other stream of revenue due to selling off properties, they start over charging land rates and introduce insane excuses to flece the pipo. It is a vicious circle and will only be broken by the council building and retaining properties

    • @ NOSTRA-ANUS

      STOP IT LEAVE THE PRESIDENT ALONE.

      MR PRESIDENT NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT LOCAL AUTHORITIES IF THE MINISTER REMAINS THE SAME COUNCILS WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE. HE WENT TO EASTERN PROVINCE SPENDING TAX PAYERS MONEY JUST TO GO AND WARN WORKERS NOT TO INTERFERE WITH HIS HENCHMEN,THE COUNCIL SECRETARIES WHO RUNS COUNCILS LIKE PERSONAL PROPERTIES.

  2. There is definitely misappropriation of funds in some councils. LCCcollects revenues for a number of things. Almost all their licenses are renewable every year which is a pain.
    The attitude of the most of the staff there is of arrogance. People walk through offices to make tea while you are being attended to. The person attending to you will be talking to a friend so the work takes twice as long. The mindset of some of these LCC workers is appalling to say the least. When Mulenga Sata became Mayor one politician said that things were going to improve. Did they? No chance!

  3. What Fran Hoffman said is what should have been said by the President.
    I expected him to make policy pronouncements that are going to lead to greater decision making powers to local authorities.
    For as long as all serious decisions are made in Lusaka local govt will be about selling plots.

  4. And all the chap could say to the President is low allowances. He was not even paying attention to the real issues HE was delivering. Why do we have councillors in this country.

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