Among the changes to be presented are the shift towards making local councils a one-stop-shop and much simpler means of acquiring funds.
The changes are based on suggestions received from the public during the consultation phase. It is therefore expected that the local councils’ term will be extended to four years since a three-year term was considered to be short for councils to enact their programme.
As in the budget for 2009, environmental issues have taken precedence.
Funding priority is to be given to a number of aspects including streets and infrastructure, cleanliness measures including the environment and waste management, services offered by local councils, e-government and the administration of local councils.
Specialised funds will address the influx in population that some localities having a number of tourist resorts and areas popular for summer residences, experience in particular seasons. Another funding scheme will be paying off local councils for initiatives to make localities sustainable.
Furthermore, local councils are being supported when applying for EU funds. While a specialised unit within the Malta-EU Action and Steering Committee was set up in the past months to give professional assistance in the filing of applications, co-financing funds are also being made available since at times councils were not being able to raise the necessary funds in time and often missing opportunities.
A long consultation process by Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said, which involved public meetings as well as individual meetings with all 68 local councils, was held following the launch of the reform process. Non-governmental organisations, unions, constituted bodies and local councils’ staff also participated. In addition, some 8,000 contributions were received by mail, sources said.
The reform will be presented at 5pm today in the presence of mayors and local council executive secretaries.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Annaliza Borg
Quelle/Source: The Malta Independent Online, 15.04.2009
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