Press reports: Dialogue on Local Government Financing: Global Experience and Local Reality

Press reports on “Local Government Financing: Global Experience and Local Reality” jointly organised by CPD and CMI at Cirdap Auditorium on Saturday, 5 October 2013.

Published in The Daily Star

CPD Survey on City Corporations, Municipalities

Two-thirds of respondents unhappy with services

Staff Correspondent

Nearly two-thirds of respondents are dissatisfied with the services provided by municipalities and city corporations, reveals a survey of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

In the four-month study, the private think tank found that 40 percent of respondents in municipalities and 35 percent in city corporations were satisfied with the services.

The rest are discontented, mainly because of poor quality of service delivery, says the report, “The unheard voices: Citizens’ perception on the state of governance and service delivery in municipalities and city corporations in Bangladesh.”

A high level of politicisation in municipalities’ affairs is another reason, said CPD Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya, sharing the findings at a dialogue on local government financing at Brac Centre in the capital yesterday.

He added, “Municipalities and city corporations cannot provide services properly because of financial constraints.”

Chr Michelsen Institute (CMI), Norway and the CPD jointly organised the dialogue chaired by Member of CPD Board of Trustees M Syeduzzaman.

Between December 2012 and March 2013, the CPD interviewed 110 people in nine municipalities and two city corporations through structured questionnaires.

The findings show that poor services are also resulted from lack of commitment of mayors, councillors and municipality officials, corruption of contractors and elected representatives, and political consideration in implementing development projects.

CPD found that 63 percent of respondents heard about corrupt practices in development projects led by their municipalities and city corporations.

The respondents highlighted problems like sanitation, drainage, water supply, insufficient lighting, construction and maintenance of roads, and poor waste management.

At the dialogue, speakers blamed lack of autonomy of the local government bodies in spending for poor services and inadequate tax collections for financial constraints.

Prime Minister’s adviser HT Imam favoured real devolution of power instead of decentralisation, saying decentralisation did not help when power remained centralised.

“Give authority to the local bodies so that they are themselves responsible for their areas…give them the authority to collect. They can collect funds and resources.”

Amirul Islam Chowdhury, former vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, said these local bodies could not spend money without approval from the line ministry. “There is a blanket control on government funds. It goes against autonomy or decentralisation.”

Efforts by municipalities to collect taxes are low, and tax default is another problem for these bodies, he added. “Government’s institutions are the highest defaulters.”

Prof Tofazzal Islam Chowdhury, mayor of Nabiganj municipality in Habiganj, urged autonomy for local government institutions to improve services.

“In every way, we’re under control of government agencies. We can’t buy a vehicle without approval. If we frame a budget, we’ve to get permission for implementation.”

Faizur Rahman Fakir, chairman of a Mymensingh upazila, said local bodies had a huge scope to collect taxes but this opportunity was not realised fully.

About 90 percent of local government’s finance comes as grant from the government and the rest is collected locally, he added.

Former adviser to a caretaker government AMM Shawkat Ali put stress on administrative decentralisation and capacity building of local government bodies.

Executive Director of Democracywatch Taleya Rehman and CMI Senior Research Odd-Helge Fjeldstad also spoke.

 

Published in the Financial Express

’60pc urban people unhappy over civic amenities’

FE Report

More than 60 per cent inhabitants of the country’s city corporations and municipalities are unhappy with the civic amenities they are provided with, says a study conducted by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), reports UNB.

Citizens from lower (C and B categories) categories of the municipalities are more dissatisfied than higher (A category) category of municipalities, it says.

Conducting a survey on 110 citizens of nine municipalities and two city corporations, it found 60 per cent respondents are dissatisfied with the services of their respective municipalities and 65 per cent respondents are unhappy with the services provided by their respective city corporations.

The study findings were revealed at dialogue on ‘Local Government Financing: Global Experience and Local Reality’ in the city’s BRAC Centre Inn, which was jointly organised by CPD and Chr Michelsen Institute (CMI).

PM’s public administration adviser HT Imam addressed the function as the chief guest while CPD trusty board member M Syeduzzaman presided over it.

CPD Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman, former Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Prof Amirul Islam Chowdhury, Executive Director of Democracy Watch Taleya Rahman and Habiganj municipality mayor Prof Tofazzel Islam Chowdhury spoke at the dialogue.

Two keynote papers: ‘The effect of Decentralisation on Corruption’ and ‘Fiscal Decentralisation in Developing Countries: Challenges and Prospects’ were presented at the dialogue.

Team leader of the research and distinguished fellow of CPD Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said the new municipalities (mean C and B category municipalities) that mostly were formed on political grounds are now facing financial crisis and troubles in providing services.

“No one says poor people, professionals and businessmen other than landowners were benefited with the declaration of many new municipalities,” Dr Debapriya said.

“Unfortunately, the development of local government what we had expected did not happen over the last four years under the incumbent government,” he lamented.

Dr Debapriya said the elected representatives of the local government bodies are delivering better services than unelected administrators.

HT Imam said the local government has gone many changes over the years since 1972, but those are sporadic. “There was tremendous centralisation of power under military governments,” he added.

 

Published in The Daily Sun

Local governments should not depend on budgetary funds
60pc urban people unhappy with service, CPD study finds

Staff Correspondent

The local government bodies like city corporations and municipalities should concentrate on collecting more revenues rather than depending on government funds to provide better service to the people.

At present, some 60 percent urban citizens are unhappy with the services provided by these bodies as their capacities are not enhancing with increased population.

A study conducted by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a local think tank, revealed this.

Citizens living in C and B category municipalities are more dissatisfied than those living in A category ones, the findings suggest.

Poor quality services and highly politicisation in the municipality affairs are key reasons behind the public dissatisfaction, the study identified. The revelation came at a dialogue on ‘Local Government Financing: Global Experience and Local Reality’ in the capital’s Brac Centre Inn, jointly organised by CPD and Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI).

The study reveals that 60 percent respondents were dissatisfied with the services of their municipalities and 65 percent respondents were found unhappy with the services of their city corporations.

For coming to a conclusion, CPD conducted a survey on 110 citizens of nine municipal areas and two city corporations.

The new municipalities, which fall under C and B categories and were mostly formed on the political grounds, are now facing financial crises and troubles in providing services, said Debapriya Bhattacharya, CPD’s distinguished fellow and also the leader of the research team. “None of the poor people, professionals and businessmen other than landowners was benefited with formation of several new municipalities,” he said.

“Unfortunately, with the launching of the local government, what we had expected was not achieved in the last four years under the incumbent government,” he added. The elected representatives of the local government bodies, however, are delivering more services than unelected administrators, observed Depapriya.

The PM’s Public Administration Adviser HT Imam addressed the function, while CPD trusty board member M Saidurzzaman presided over it.

HT Imam said local administration has gone through many ups and downs with many negative changes experienced since 1972. CPD Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman, former Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Prof Amirul Islam Chowdhury, executive director of Democracy Watch Taleya Rahman and Mayor of Habiganj municipality Prof Tofazzel Islam Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the dialogue.