Decentralisation aims at identifying citizens’ needs — PM

AMMAN — Decentralisation is an advanced reform project to integrate citizens in prioritising economic, service and social projects and follow up on their implementation within scheduled times in the Budget, Prime Minister Hani Mulki said on Tuesday. 

In a dialogue meeting with heads of governorate councils, Mulki said that decentralisation aims at identifying  citizens’ needs, priorities and aspirations at their own areas, be them political, economic or social, and transferring such requests from governorates to the capital, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The premier congratulated heads, deputy heads and their assistants for gaining the confidence of citizens in the first elections of governorate councils in the history of Jordan.

He also stressed that decentralisation enhances development in a smooth way according to citizens’ needs and priorities, referring to His Majesty King Abdullah’s keenness for applying decentralisation as part of the political, economic and social reforms.

The prime minister highlighted the importance of identifying development priorities that most people agree on in the budget and to have follow ups on project implementation, stressing the need to spend all financial allocations in the same year.

The Finance Ministry identified allocations for governorates in the 2018 and 2019 budgets, where the Cabinet endorsed 30 per cent equally for all governorates and the other 70 per cent was distributed according to each governorate’s area, population, number of economic facilities and poverty and employment rates, Mulki added.

There will be schemes that will be implemented in more than one governorate, the premier said, adding that such schemes will be listed in the state capital expenditure and will be the responsibility of the government after listening to recommendations from governorate councils. 

He noted that governorate councils will be responsible for projects in their respective governorates, such as roads, hospitals, schools, sewage, water and electricity.

The prime minister said that the main job of governorate councils in 2018 will be identifying priorities that their governorates did not receive funds for in previous budgets, in addition to starting a programme to follow up on projects, and to consider schemes for 2019.

Mulki expressed his confidence that governorate councils will be able to face development challenges and meet citizens’ aspirations, stressing the government’s support to these councils.

Heads of governorate councils, their deputies and assistants expressed their readiness to work in partnership with executive councils in governorate, so as to start implementing schemes that aim to improve services and achieve development in governorates, according to Petra.