Municipal Governance
Setting Good Examples

By Mukti Rijal

A NEWS item has it that the Butwal municipality is being aided by the world’s soccer governing body. FIFA to build a football training centre. According to the deal, FIFA will finance the construction of the soccer training facility at the cost of twelve million rupees in which football coaches and trainees will be accommodated. Moreover, under the deal the soccer governing body will help the municipality to construct a stadium with seat-capacity of around ten thousand. The municipality is committed to contribute twenty per cent of the total amount pledged by the soccer governing body for the project.

Support

However, private sector has come to the aid of the local body committing to bear the amount which has to be borne by the municipality. The transport enterpreneurs and businessmen have especially extended support to municipality. Butwal municipality has thus been able to mobilise support of the private sector to implement several projects especially in building and improving physical infrastructures. The initiatives mounted by the municipality in cooperation with private and citizen sector have spruced up the city. The city has worn a new face buttressed by an assortment of facilities. Civic amenitities and infrastructures have improved. A new and modern bus terminal has started its operation. It has reduced the crowd and congestion by which the historic city and commercial hub of the western Nepal was severely laden with. The municipality has promoted public private partnership to use resources and energy of the private enterpreneurs for public service and facilities.

The concept of involving private sector in improving municipal services and adding new civic utilities gained a new thrust after the Local Self Governance Act entered into effect in 1999. The local bodies have been recognised as self-governing institutions. The entities have started to exercise some autonomy and used competencies and mandates to strengthen their capacity by securing participation of private and citizen sectors.

The preamble to the Act itself speaks of strengthening local bodies as institution to enhance participation of people—private sector and citizens-including different ethnic groups and disadvantaged communities in bringing about social justice and equity. Moreover, the preamble to the Act explains the intent as to constitute local bodies for the development of the local self governance system in a manner that they are able to make decisions on the matters affecting the day to day needs and lives of the people by developing local leadership.

The Local Self Governance Act enunciates principles and policies of local self governance and requires the government to develop powers and responsibilities to make the local bodies capable and efficient in self governance. Moreover, the law requires the government—both central and local government—to encourage the private sector to participate in strengthening self governing process by providing basic services for sustainable development.

Section 115 of the Act provides for coordination between municipality and citizen sector. Municipalities are required to maintain coordination with governmental, non-governmental and funding agencies in implementing different services and programmes in order to remove duplication and enhance complementing role among the agencies and institutions.

Similarly, section 119 of the Act stipulates that the municipalities should implement and operate projects through formation of user groups. User groups formed of the people who get direct benefits the project.

Section 121 of the Act requires the municipalities to encourage citizen sector including private sector especially in identifying, formulating operating, evaluating repair and maintenance of the town development programmes.

Section 127 of the Act has provision for approving of bids sanctioning procurement and awarding contracts. It provides that the municipalities execute development projects either itself or through citizen sector, user groups and private sector. The role of the municipal government, according to law, is therefore to perform as a catalyst and enabler but not the executor or implementer of projects. The law seeks to promote and strengthen public-private partnership so that the citizen sector, not bureaucracy, would have a seminal role in municipal governance and development.

Example

Municipalities like Butwal have demonstrated some good examples to show that public-private partnership is important in improving municipal services and involving citizen sector for development.

Other Stories

• Economic Diplomacy And Resource Mobilisation
• The Strict High School Teacher