Public Accountability under the Local Government System. National Reconstruction Bureau Pakistan

Transcription

1 Public Accountability under the Local Government System National Reconstruction Bureau Pakistan 1 1

2 PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE CULTURE 1. Genesis of citizen state relations under colonialism and the importance of history. 2. Ownership of the institutional structure vesting in the bureaucracy and not the political leadership. 3. Resultantly, the system is based on pleading for favours rather than exercising rights. 4. Dichotomy of local custom, folk law, and moral and ethical standards derived from hereditary tribal and community structures and the common law derived from European experience. Contd 2

3 PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY & GOVERNANCE CULTURE 5. The long and arduous process of institutional development derived from a local experience and predicated on a local cumulative historical psyche didn t take place and political development was virtually suspended. 6. Democracy prompts the reinvigoration and re-establishment of traditional rules and ethical standards and morality that are required to be serviced by the bureaucracy through patronage. 7. In order to preserve the institutional tradition (moral, ethical structure) bureaucracy invents mechanisms to prevent intervention in its affairs purporting merit and fair play. 8. For this they need immunity from retribution this promotes insulation and secrecy finally impunity. Contd 3

4 PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY & GOVERNANCE CULTURE 9. The solution: Shift the ownership of the institutional structure from the bureaucracy to fully and squarely rest on the shoulders of the elected representatives at the local level. 10. This was accomplished by unbundling the colonial officer king model of governance creating checks and balances and making the local administration of government answerable to the elected representatives. 11. This was accompanied by devolution of administration, assignment of functions, and distribution of financial resources. 12. New institutions were created under law to manage various aspects of embedding accountability. Contd 4

5 Offices

6 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 1. Provincial Government 2. Provincial Local Government Commission 3. Provincial Finance Commission 4. Chief Election Commissioner 5. Auditor General of Pakistan 6. Councils (District /Tehsil /Town) 7. Internal Audit Contd 6

7 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 8. Monitoring Committees 9. Accounts Committees 10. Citizen Community Boards 11. Union Public Safety Committees 12. Zila Mohtasib (yet( to be established) 13. Ethic Committees? Code of conduct 14. District Public Safety & Police Complaints Commissions 15. Accountability by the higher level of local government 7

8 1. Electoral ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM a. Accountable to people at the time of election. b. Disqualification and removal by CEC under sections 152 and 160 of Local Government Ordinance. 2. Political a. Councils are empowered to approve budgets submitted by the administrations. b. Monitoring by the councils allows public response to service delivery reach local administrations. c. Recall by the council 8

9 3. Administrative Accountability Mechanism a. Directives issued in public interest by the CM to be complied with by the Nazim. Suspension & inquiry in case of noncompliance. b. Suspension of an order or decision of a Zila Nazim or a Tehsil Nazim or a Union Nazim by CM. Inquiry by PLGC within 90 days. c. Suspension of resolutions of ZC, TC and UC by CM. d. Setting a side of an order or decision of Tehsil/Town Nazim by ZC on the motion by the District Government. 9

10 Accountability Mechanism e. Provincial Local Government Commission responsible to conduct:? annual and special inspections? inquiries? special audit? resolve disputes? take cognizance of violations of laws and rules by a local government and submit an annual report on the performance of District Governments and TMAs. f. Provincial Local Government Commission to organize planning meetings of legislators and District / Tehsil Nazims and facilitate performance of provincial departmental functions. 10

11 Accountability Mechanism g. The post-devolution functions of provincial departments are:? Policy analysis? Oversight? Setting standards? Capacity building? Checks and balance? Coordination through PLGC h. Mal-administration cases to be judged by Zila Mohtasib (Ombudsman). 11

12 Accountability Mechanism 4. Financial a. Statement of monthly and annual accounts open for public inspection. b. Accounts committee hold public hearings for disposing of objections and discussing the internal and external Audit reports. c. Oversight by the provincial government on budget and taxation. d. Audit of Accounts by the Auditor General of Pakistan. e. Audit report is presented to the concerned council. 12

13 ACCOUNTABILITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 13

14 EXISTING LOCAL AREAS EXISTING LOCAL AREAS City District Total Balochistan NWFP Sindh Punjab Unions Towns Tehsils / Talukas Districts Province

15 Name of Province CCBs Registered CITIZEN COMMUNITY BOARDS Projects Submitted to CCBs Officials Total No. Of Projects Projects Under Process Projects Under Approval of Councils Projects Approved by Councils Execution of Approved Projects Projects not Initiated Projects Completed Projects On-Going Funds Utilized (Rs In Million) Punjab NWFP Sindh Balochista n Total

16 Monitoring Committees Elected by Union Councils (Number) Monitoring Province Committees Balochistan NWFP Punjab Sindh Total (%) Education Finance Health Literacy Municipal services Public Safety Works & Services Others

17 Thank You