MINISTER for Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS) Hon Rollen Seloso says the Government remains committed in reviewing the 1997 Provincial Government Act.
Minister Seloso told Parliament this week during his 2021 Appropriation Bill 2021 debate speech that as one of the redirection policies of the Government, the review of the 1997 Provincial Government Act is an on-going activity under the MPGIS.
He said the review would help bring clarity on the governance aspects of Provincial Governments, delineate different responsibilities among the administration, executive and assemblies and their relations to other stakeholders and help promote stability and good governance at the Provincial Government level.
Minister Seloso said another main aspect of the review is that it captures well some of the fundamental issues raised in the ‘Draft Federal Constitution’.
“I believe what Provincial Governments aspire to achieve is the access to resources, access to mandated functions and responsibilities and the capacity to deliver basic service to our populace,” he said.
The Provincial Government Minister said that in line with the tabling of the Revised Provincial Government Bill, MPGIS would continue to liaise with Cabinet and the Attorney General Chambers to ensure that this bill along with the Provincial Governments Revenue Sharing Bill are prioritized.
“We hope these Bills will pave way for more involvement in community development and participation for economic growth and revitalization of productive sector based programs,” he said.
—PMO
This is really good. If the government of the day addresses these reviews then it is important to give autonomy to the Provinces to ensure that they develop accordingly. The CDF can’t successfully do it because there are different types of leaders in power. Some are people oriented, others not so much. It’s time Premiers and MPAs also have a say in how their provincial funds are used at the central government level.