Luanshya Municipal Council is to adopt success models of economic development from big African cities as a form of addressing the growing unemployment, inequality and poverty levels among residents.
Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda said the success models practiced in cities like Kigali and Addis-Ababa involved the building of local economies through massive resident and business community synergies.
He indicated that the municipality has embarked on the consistent use of robust and inclusive approach to local economic development to address these problems.
He said this in a speech read for him by Luanshya Deputy Mayor Golden Mulenga during the commemoration of the African Day of Decentralization and Local Development, marking the end of activities of the local government week.
He has called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders in supporting the distribution and broad economic participation through economic empowerment programs, education and skills training among others.
Mr Chanda said the council will continue to create an enabling environment for economic expansion through the expansion of local markets, cost sharing and reduction of its services.
And speaking at the same event, Luanshya Municipal Council Town Clerk Timothy Mambalakata said the day marked an important milestone towards the effective recognition of local government as important stakeholders in development of the African continent.
Mr Mambalakata observed that the African Decentralization Day which was preceded by local government week posed an opportunity for the local authority to popularize Decentralization and educate the public on various devolved governance programs.
Various government departments including the ministry of agriculture, education, clinics and the councils exhibited their services to the community throughout the local government week by taking their services to the communities.
Meanwhile, Luanshya District Commissioner Patrick Maipambe castigated the Council for the poor organization of the event which he said if handled properly would spur economic development through public awareness of government services.
Mr Maipambe observed that the commemoration was poorly planned and not granted the attention and importance it deserved, which resulted in key stakeholders including the private sector not attending the event.
He has since urged the council to ensure that national events where carefully considered and planned as government was losing revenue through facilitation of such programs that needed to yield results.
The DC was speaking shortly before he toured stands exhibiting various services offered by devolved ministries in the local government Decentralization program which included Agriculture, fisheries, education and clinics among other council departments.
The African Day of Decentralization was commemorated under the theme “Promotion and Effective Implementation of Economic Development for Sustainable Solutions for Regional and Local Communities and Forced Migrants in Africa”.
what goods and services does luanshya produce? that’s not a rhetorical question btw.
comparing luanshya to addis or Kigali is like comparing apples to oranges. those are centers with a lot of big and thriving business and providers of several other services.
at times we’re better off seeking solutions that are as unique as the problems you’re facing in your niche market.
good luck
Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda said the success models practiced in cities like Kigali and Addis-Ababa involved the building of local economies through massive resident and business community synergies.
What success models is he talked about? This is ignorance at its best. These cities are in countries where leadership is serious and has been able to attract FDI. In Addis for example there are 167 projects right now by the Chinese worth billions of dollars building industrial parks, modernising railway systems while the Chinese are building shopping mails for you and you are busy plundering public funds by inflating government projects and procurements.
Who gives a f*ck!
Good Nathan,we want people who are proactive and witch finders like the ones we have in opposition.
not the ones in opposition