Maria David
MINISTER of Urban and Rural Development Erastus Uutoni has called on all the ministries with functions earmarked for decentralization but are not yet decentralized to do everything in their power to expedite the outstanding processes.
Uutoni made the call during the commemoration of the Africa Day of Decentralization, Local Governance, and Local Development on Thursday.
This year, the day was commemorated at Okahao in the Omusati Region, under the theme “The Contribution of African Subnational and Local Governments in the Making of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
Uutoni said as they reflect on their decentralization journey, they are mindful that their decentralized system still needs nurturing and perfection before they can experience the full benefits thereof.
“This calls for enhanced cooperation and unwavering commitment of all stakeholders, especially Line Ministries who have to decentralize functions and corresponding resources as well as Regional and Local Authority Councils as the recipients, to re-commit and do everything in their power to accelerate the pace of decentralization,” he said.
He added that decentralization has the potential to unleash development potential at regional and local levels, which in turn translates into benefits at both local and national levels.
Hence, Uutoni said the government reaffirms its commitment towards supporting developmental initiatives by and through regional and local authority councils.
“One of the instruments that we are using to harness economic potentials of regions and local authorities is our Regional and Local Economic Development (LED) White Paper of 2011, which we are reviewing to ensure its continued relevance,” he said.
He added that through their LED programme, they will continue to support and build the capacity of their Regional and Local governments to develop and implement effective regional and local economic development strategies and initiatives with a view to attracting and retaining investment and business, which are important sources and catalysts for employment, wealth creation, as well as economic growth and development.
Uutoni said together with other Government Ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, they will also continue to assist local governments in building business sites and premises as well as accessing production equipment that offers conducive spaces for trading and boosts the productive capacity of their micro, small, and medium enterprises.
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