| Speech | May 26 2006 |
Statement by The Honourable Patrick Manning Prime Minister of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to The House of Representatives on Local Government Reform
Mr. Speaker,
I am thankful for the opportunity to make the following statement to this Honourable House and the nation.
The matter of constitutional reform is one of the most important issues facing our country. We on this side note the growing comments in the media and from the national community on the need for the country to embark on this process. A draft of a new constitution has already been prepared by a group of distinguished, leading citizens calling themselves the Principles of Fairness Committee. The government intends to examine this document very carefully. At the same time we are in the process of producing our own draft which we expect to be ready by July of this year. This document will join all others in the public domain and provide the national community with the opportunity to further the debate on this fundamental matter.
We have also already placed in the public domain some of our ideas for the modernisation of our nation’s constitution. These include our thinking on the way forward for Local Government. On this occasion, I wish to focus on my Administration’s proposals for Local Government Reform, which we consider to be an important first step towards the larger process of Constitutional Reform.
We are of the view that significantly improved Local Government is indispensable for the deepening of the democratic process and for the better delivery of services to the people of the nation. It is also critical for greater national efficiency and productivity which will in turn increase the competitiveness of Trinidad and Tobago in the global arena.
We signalled our position quite early in our Party’s Manifesto of 2002; and in Government, we embarked on a most transparent process to chart the way forward. A Draft Policy Paper was formulated by the Ministry of Local Government in 2004, incorporating previous reports on Local Government Reform as well as the views, opinions and suggestions of individuals and institutions, including Municipal Corporations.
After review, this Paper was approved by Cabinet and published as a Green Paper for public comment. Thereafter, widespread consultations were held on this important matter.
Specifically, a two (2) day National Consultation and four (4) one day Regional Consultations were held between August and September, 2004. More than one thousand persons from a wide cross-section of the national community attended these Consultations. They represented over thirty five (35) groups, organizations and institutions including Community Based Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Village Councils, Women’s Groups, Religious Bodies, Trade Unions, Political Parties and the Business Sector.
Focus group discussions were also held on the Green Paper. In addition, the commentaries and suggestions of individuals and institutions were received and reviewed by the Ministry of Local Government.
The Green Paper was laid in the Other Place on October 22nd 2004 and in this Honourable House on October 29th 2004.
The consensual issues and positions that emerged from the Consultations were reported to Cabinet in August 2005 together with the findings and recommendations of the Local Government Inter ministerial Transitional Task Force (LGITTF) on functions and responsibilities to be decentralized to Local Government Bodies. The Cabinet agreed that a Revised Green Paper be produced incorporating both reports. In April 2006, a draft of this document was presented to Cabinet and found acceptance.
Mr. Speaker, I now wish to bring to the attention of this Honourable House some of the proposals for local government reform contained in the Revised Green Paper.
Firstly, we propose that that there be an arrangement for the sharing of power between Central and Local Government in Trinidad and Tobago. Under this system the Central Government will be essentially the policy making body, whilst Local Government will be the principal executing arm of the State. For obvious reasons, this arrangement will not apply to some portfolios like national defence, foreign affairs and foreign trade and the energy sector, all of which must remain under the full purview of the Central Government.
Apart from these, the new concept envisages revised arrangements for some other areas. Some functions will be discharged by the central government by way of national arrangements like T and TEC, WASA, Civil Aviation Authority, Airports Authority and The Roads Authority. Other functions would be discharged by the Local Government bodies which would be restructured and given a significant project management capability. This will be utilised to dispense services through the use of private sector arrangements.
This system of power sharing will ensure the decentralisation of authority that we have needed for some time in this country. It has been found, both here and abroad, that proximity between decision makers and those served are more likely to result in effective and efficient delivery of public goods and services. The decentralization of functions and responsibilities to Local Government bodies, rather than the devolution of power, is therefore being advocated as the core of our model of Local Government Reform. In our view, the devolution of authority which involves the decentralisation of policy decision making can lead to the fragmentation of the unitary state.
Secondly, through Local Government Reform, we intend to improve representation of the people’s interests in this country. We are proposing an enlarged Senate of Trinidad and Tobago to include all Mayors and Chairmen of Municipal Corporations. though without a vote, they will have the additional opportunity to speak out on matters specifically affecting their cities and regions. Their contributions will serve to enhance the representational functions now being discharged by Parliamentary Representatives. The People’s interests will therefore be better served. Community concerns and issues would then be vigorously aired in the nation’s highest forum, providing the opportunity for much greater influence on national legislation, policies and programmes. Very significantly indeed, this proposal will ensure a greater voice for the people in the nation’s parliament, thereby strengthening their participation in the democratic process. The feeling of being away from the center will be significantly diminished.
Thirdly, Mr. speaker, we propose to introduce Executive Councils in the Local Government system of Trinidad and Tobago. This is inspired by the experience gained in operating the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) model. These Executive Councils shall constitute the leadership for Local Government bodies, with the elected and nominated officials performing assigned roles and functions, and being responsible to the Local Government Body for management of particular departments or portfolios. The Executive Council shall take collective responsibility for management of the Local Government body as it implements the policies of the Central Government.
Our fourth proposal, Mr. Speaker, recommends a review of Local Government Boundaries. At the level of the Central Government, there is an administrative district arrangement, the boundaries for which do not coincide with those of Local Government. This position ought to be reviewed, since it is our view, that if both sets of boundaries are coterminous with each other, an opportunity is presented for the local government bodies to discharge a coordinating function in respect of the administration of certain Central Government responsibilities, like, Education and the delivery of Social Services. There is concern over the number of administrative districts caused by use of different boundaries by separate Government agencies; aggravated by the fact that communities are virtually carved up in different ways depending on the application for which the boundary is used. There is therefore the need to establish new districts through a process of rationalisation, thereby enabling greater participation by the people in the affairs of their community.
Our boundary demarcations must be functional, rational and user-friendly. They must facilitate regional identification and mobilization, programme co-ordination and administration among the various agencies, as well efficient and effective service delivery to our communities.
One of the proposed strategies for reviewing and rewriting the Local Government Boundaries is a thorough examination of a number of factors including the emerging new growth poles, new patterns of settlement and new centres of industrial and commercial activities. The intention is to ensure more effective national and regional planning as well as the growth of sustainable communities.
This proposal could affect the size, number and types of Local Government bodies.
Finally, Mr.Speaker, we are proposing a degree of self financing for Local Government Bodies. The expectation is that through the collection of appropriate rates and taxes, all local government bodies should be able to finance a greater part of their annual budgets than currently obtains. We would therefore need to put in place the administrative and legal requirements to establish Property Taxation/House Rate Collection Units and Systems in those Local Government Bodies, where they do not now exist. We must also develop a realistic formula for the allocations from central government based on demographics and social and infrastructural needs.
Mr. Speaker, I have outlined five concrete proposals contained in our Revised Green Paper for the reform of Local Government in Trinidad and Tobago. We would now proceed to get the views of the relevant departments of the Opposition, as had been promised, and further the consultations with the entire national community on our recommendations. We want the strongest possible participation in this fundamental matter.
Consequently, the Revised Green Paper on Local Government Reform 2006 shall now be published as a Draft White Paper. We therefore open the way for further national dialogue on this issue and the government shall ensure that the deliberations are as comprehensive as possible. I call on all citizens to enter the discussion and to make their views known to the Government. This matter is very directly related to the welfare of the people.
This issue involves the way we run our country and how efficiently we utilise the nation’s revenue from our human efforts and our God-given resources. Additionally and very importantly, this entire process must be seen as a precursor to the greater, more complex and very challenging matter of constitution reform. If we get this right, we would be better prepared for the much bigger hurdle.
Mr. Speaker, in light of the importance of this matter, and recognising that it is not in the best interest of the country to simply continue with the present arrangement, we feel we should clearly chart the new way forward before the impending Local Government elections are held. The life of the existing councils will expire on July 13 of this year. We should seriously attempt to give those who will be our newly elected local government officials, a fresh start in a newly energised, dynamic and progressive system. We should not be satisfied to continue with a situation that denies the full effectiveness of our representatives and the more efficient deployment of Local Government resources. We must be wary of the growth of disillusionment with the democratic process by the people in our communities who, in today’s modern world, understandably have increasingly high expectations for improved performance from their representatives and their government agencies. We must therefore also recognise that those who come forward to serve at this level must satisfy the demands of a reformed system.
There is really no harm done with the proposed postponement of the elections, which is provided for by the constitution. Indeed the nation will gain by a rescheduling because it will place an onus on all of us to reform the system within a given time frame. We have talked the talk. Let us now walk it.
Mr. Speaker, the government therefore proposes to bring legislation to Parliament to extend the present term of Local Government Bodies for a period of one year.
We shall now publish our Draft White Paper on Local Government Reform, which is being laid today on the table of this Honourable House. We are therefore now in a position to embark on the process of facilitating comprehensive public discussion on this pivotal matter of national concern.
Mr. Speaker, as we continue to transform Trinidad and Tobago into a developed nation, it is important that we empower our system of local government to play its part in this giant step forward for the nation. What we are proposing is a modernised and revitalised system, carefully conceptualised, which will enjoy sufficient autonomy and authority and have the resources and expertise to ensure improved delivery of goods and services to the people in our communities. Our proposals emanate from the concept of decentralisation which means the execution of policy decisions at the level of our local communities. In other words, Mr. Speaker, more power to the people.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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