The ManicaPost
THE on-going devolution process which is in sync with constitutional provisions is meant to spur speedy and sustainable regional development when it is fully rolled out.
Among other things, provincial councils will be empowered to initiate development programmes in their respective constituencies in a move that is meant to ensure that societal needs are brought on board in crafting growth and expansion initiatives.
This makes good reading but the success of the whole devolution agenda requires input from all stakeholders.
A lot of ground work needs to be done to ensure that local authorities, local boards and other regional public entities are ready to embrace devolution and ensure sustainable, efficient, effective, transparent and accountable management of allocated financial resources.
Sound public finance management systems are thus a pre-requisite.
The programmes manager of the Zimbabwe Coalition of Debt and Development (Zimcodd), Mr John Maketo, was spot on when he told stakeholders who attended a finance management indaba in Mutare recently that local authorities must put their house in order.
He said a lot needs to be done to strengthen public finance management system in local authorities for devolution to make sense.
“Sound public finance management systems are a pre-requisite for devolution to be a success and to be meaningful.
If we rush to implement devolution without sound public finance management systems, we are creating more problems for ourselves than we have now,” he said.
This statement is laden with serious issues that need to be tackled.
For the record, local authorities have made the headlines for the wrong reasons when it comes to managing funds.
Cases of embezzlement, tender fraud and theft have become the mainstay, a situation that clearly shows that there is little or no financial prudence in the corridors of most local authorities.
Collected levies are being channelled to wrong activities while millions are being siphoned dubious transactions.
The question that arises is: When devolution is implemented with the current status core is it going to work?
Definitely no.
The whole process will suffer a still birth.
The financial resources that will be given to these local authorities in the name of devolution will be stolen in broad day light because the systems are corrupt.
Provinces should be equipped to run their own affairs in an accountable and transparent manner while local authorities should do the same.
Accountability is only achieved when there is the involvement of all stakeholders including citizens.
Council business should not be done in secrecy and things like tendering must be done publicly and do away with underhand dealings.
When things are done openly the public will quickly buy in and contribute immensely.
To this end, citizens need to be educated first before devolution is rolled out. People must know what it means so that they participate from an informed stand point.
This is like a jig saw puzzle. If not piece goes missing there will be no solution.
In this age of new-age technology, t is imperative that the authorities invest heavily in ICT and ensure that all processes are computerised and on-line.
This ensures transparency when things are done on-line.
Checks and balances are easy to implement because the systems can be audited instantly by the click of a button.
Manual filling of documents and doing some processes manually increases the risk of corruption because there will be too much secrecy.
All systems must be open up to ensure financial prudence and transparency, without that devolution will remain a pipe dream.
