PM sets ball rolling for reform of local councils

We did not inherit the country from our ancestors but borrowed it from our children who are expecting us to return it to them more beautiful and stronger than before, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

With that reflection, he officially launched a reform of local government with a view to improving the service it offers and making it more responsive to today's needs.

Addressing mayors, deputy mayors and executive secretaries of local councils, Prime Minister Gonzi said the government has a vision for local councils consistent with its vision for the country: Making Malta a centre of excellence in a number of areas.

"We are starting this new legislature with this initiative and we are putting local councils at the forefront of a process of change for our 2015 vision to become a reality. Along with the reform at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, and a continuation of the reform in rent laws, a reform in the way councils operate is important for this final vision to be reached."

He said that what started as an experiment in 1993 has now become an important tool. Funding for local councils has increased from the initial €10 million to €24 million this year.

Yesterday marked the start of a six-month public consultation period on the reform, with Dr Gonzi seting out a few of the government's goals. Primarily, he spoke about the need for sustainable localities. Sustainable development is not a cliché but brings about several challenges as well as opportunity. More coordination is needed between councils and the government so that the quality of life of residents can be truly improved, he said.

"Each and every activity in our localities, be it financial or social, has to have an environmental dimension. This is why tourism, the environment and local councils are linked together. It is useless investing millions on low cost carriers if tourists come to our localities and find rundown villages."

He underlined the importance of good governance, accountability and transparency, saying these were the government's main aims for this reform process.

Councils must make the best use of the funds they are given. He admitted that the formula used to allocate funds needs to change "because the exigencies of one locality are different from those of another". Moreover, councils should be able - and also helped - to tap European Union funds for some of their projects.

Dr Gonzi said bluntly that he is "not satisfied with the performance of local councils on cleanliness", saying it leaves a lot to be desired.

"Even contractors and service providers have to be accountable for their work and here he suggested a system of fines for contractors who deliver poor quality service.

"The cheapest is not always the best. I prefer to seen seven good projects than 10 which are of poor quality." The Prime Minister said training for councillors is essential. He advised them to make better use of information technology for the provision of their services as well as to work together, on a regional basis, to make services more cost-effective.

Councillors were urged to contribute as much as they can to the consultation process, setting aside partisan politics.

Parliamentary Secretary for Public Dialogue Chris Said, who will be conducting the consultation process, referred to a few ideas which he said needed to be discussed. He questioned, for example, whether the councils' term should remain three years and whether the role of mayors should be redefined.

In between now and November, Dr Said will be meeting all local councils individually as well as hold meetings with the Local Councils' Association and the Association of Executive Secretaries.

The government is also planning to have a website where people can comment and share views.