Government has said the newly launched Local Authorities Financing and Fiscal Decentralisation Strategy will provide a roadmap for improving the management of public finances at the local government level.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri made the remarks on Monday during the official launch of the strategy in Blantyre, describing it as a key milestone in strengthening fiscal decentralisation across the country.
Phiri said the strategy will guide local authorities in managing public resources more effectively while promoting transparency, accountability and efficient service delivery to communities.
He urged councils to improve their performance and ensure prudent utilisation of available resources to achieve meaningful socio-economic benefits for Malawians.
World Bank Senior Public Sector Specialist and Task Team Leader for the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) Project, Eva Melis, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening local governance and public financial management.
Melis said the strategy will provide practical guidance to local authorities on implementing fiscal decentralisation and institutionalizing good public financial management practices for improved service delivery.
The launch of the strategy forms part of a two-day symposium organized by the National Local Government Finance Committee with financial support from the World Bank through the Governance to Enable Service Delivery Project.
The symposium is being held under the theme, “Strengthening Financial Accountability and Innovation for Sustainable Local Authority Financial Performance and Service Delivery,” bringing together key stakeholders to discuss ways of improving financial accountability and governance at the local level.
