RAJSHAHI, Nov 23, 2020 (BSS)- Highlighting the importance of good governance speakers in a divisional level consultation here underscored the need for ensuring in all service-delivery sectors for welfare of the people.
They viewed that most of the people are largely dependent on the service-delivery sectors to meet up their basic needs so the roles and responsibilities of the service-providers must be realistic.
National Governance Assessment Framework and Center on Budget and Policy in Dhaka University (DU) jointly hosted the consultation at Nanking Darbar Hall in Rajshahi city today.
The Governance Innovation Unit (GIU) of the Prime Minister’s Office supported the meeting in collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).
Additional Commissioner of Taxes Abdul Mannan addressed the meeting as chief guest, while GIU Director General Ashraf Uddin and Professor Golam Sabbir Sattar from Rajshahi University spoke as special guests.
Professor Kazi Maruful Islam from the Department of Development Studies in DU gave an illustration on the issue in his multimedia presentation, while his collegue Professor Taibur Rahman welcomed the participants.
Abdul Mannan said all the existing services being delivered towards the grassroots people need to be more coordinated and accelerated.
Many government and non-government organizations are now implementing projects for public welfare. So, there is no alternative to contributing to the empowerment of local citizens through a democratic, transparent, inclusive and effective local government system, he added.
During four group discussions, the participants focused on some key issues including enhancing capacity for women leadership roles in local government institution structures, mobilizing citizens groups to influence their service delivery, mainstreaming pro-poor and pro-women local governance practices and ensuring collaboration and interaction.
They unanimously stressed on providing training on tax assessment and collection, financial management and record keeping, participatory planning and budgeting, roles and responsibilities of UPs and UZPs and standing committees and creating strategic planning.
“Awareness of the local population about their rights, roles and responsibilities and orienting local governance issues to media people and local government institutions need to be focused properly” they said .