Governance starts with people who democratically elect their representatives within a defined time period. Governance also involves Resource allocation and utilisation. The track record on Accountability at the National level needs improvement. Local authorities as institutions closest to the people provide the opportunity for participatory governance through Stake Holders participation in the Identification, Planning, Budgeting, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation. In Uganda for example, 40 percent of the Government revenue for capital development goes through local authorities. Accountability is easier to monitor at the local level but National Governments have to set the pace.
- Peace Building is better undertaken at the local level and across borders.
- Adoption of the more effective ways of promoting Citizens participation through approaches that embrace the tools of Local Economic Development through strategic planning.
- Local authorities have the capacity to promote Sustainable Development that takes account of local environmental circumstances.
- Through City to City and County to County/District to District collaboration. Local authorities are in a position to provide High Impact on Regional Integration process coupled with low risk of failure.
- Activities undertaken at the local level have favourite Cost Benefit Ratio as alternative sites are considered and decisions are made on the basis of maximising benefits in a given locality.
- Synergy is gained when local authority activities across the borders are jointly planned in a synchronised manner. For example the case of the movement of persons, the regulation of business activities at the local level all impact on the investor and the movement of goods across the common borders.
- Over all observation is that there is need to improve local authority capacity to deliver at the local level for the communities to benefit from Co-operation at the Regional Level.
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Governance issues
