The National Council’s Good Governance Committee proposed the government to establish independent decentralisation secretariat for the Local Governments. The proposal came up while the committee members were presenting the Local Governance Assessment Report in the National Council, today.
GGC committee members said establishing an independent, strongly mandated, and adequately resourced decentralisation secretariat would provide strategic leadership and effective oversight role for decentralisation process.
At the moment, it is the Department of Local Governance under the home ministry that provides all forms of support to the Local Governments.
“Department of Local Governance has no substantial role although it was intended to play a supportive role,” Local Governance Assessment Report states.
Local Development Division of the Gross National Happiness Commission is in charge of collaboration local planning processes. The finances of the local governments are taken care of by the finance ministry.
GGC’s members said one of the biggest challenges for Local Governments appear to be with vertical coordination and consultation between different layers of Government Institutions.
The report says although the submitted chiwog and consolidated gewog plans generally fall within the five year plans, it is indicated that a dzongkhag is not deeply engaged at an early stage of the planning process. “This would have affected the quality of planning outcome,” says the report.
Apart from creating a New Secretariat, the committee also proposed two more options; strengthening of the Department of Local Governance and merging Department of Local Governance and Local Development Division.
The Upper House will continue the discussion tomorrow.
