Statement by the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Georges van Montfort, at launch of the Lesotho Local Development Programme - 15 June, 2009

Honourable Ministers,

Principal Secretaries,

District Administrators,

Distinguished guests,

Bo ‘M’e le Bo Ntate,

All protocol observed,

I am delighted to welcome you to the launch of the Lesotho Local Development Programme aimed at improving public service delivery through strengthened local governance in Lesotho. This is a joint programme of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). A programme that puts the ‘Delivering as One UN’ spirit into action by bringing together several UN agencies under a unique assistance framework.

The purpose of our gathering today is not just to launch one particular programme; more fundamentally, today the United Nations are here to renew their commitment to support decentralisation in Lesotho, so that it can deliver to all citizens by improving public service delivery in each of the country’s districts.

Decentralisation features high in the list of priorities of the Public Service Delivery Agenda, and represents a milestone on the road to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as well as Vision 2020. Needed as they may be, decentralization reforms are complex and long processes in any democracy.

The 2005 Local Elections and progress in strengthening local government structures are commendable achievements, nevertheless, the transfer of facilities and personnel, important as it may be, constitutes just the first step towards the construction of a truly decentralized system, whose purpose is to improve the access by citizens to quality public goods and local services.

An additional but still fundamental step towards our ultimate goal of improved public service delivery is fiscal decentralisation. Improving the equitability, objectivity and predictability of the fund allocation system is of paramount importance in order to ensure that intergovernmental transfers contribute to achieving national goals.

It is important to realise that the majority of services that impact people’s lives on a daily basis are those delivered at the district level and below. It is essential therefore, that the direction of the decentralisation reform is made more explicit through the formalization of a decentralisation policy. Given the inherent cross-ministerial nature of decentralization which will touch upon the way most Ministries operate, it is of paramount importance that such policy be the result of an inter-ministerial dialogue.

The programme will be operational through a National Decentralization Steering Committee chaired by the Government Secretary and composed by all Principal Secretaries of each Ministry. The expectation is that each Ministry will actively contribute to the formalization of a policy that could truly represent a shared platform for decentralisation.

The Programme has four main objectives:

1.  Firstly, it will establish systems for decentralized, inclusive, pro-poor effective planning and budgeting of local development and service delivery, both at the national level and at the district level.

2.  Secondly, these guidelines and procedures will be used to implement pilot programs providing demanded social and economic infrastructure and social services delivery in the three central districts of Maseru, Berea and Thaba Tseka.   

3.  Thirdly, financing mechanisms for local public infrastructure, social service delivery, and local economic development of rural communities will be established through fiscal decentralisation. A local development fund will be set up in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.

4.  Finally, the programme will strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship to implement and coordinate the decentralization process.

It is clear from these objectives that this programme is a national programme, which will initially be piloted in the three central districts in order to generate lessons and best practices before a national roll-out takes place.

Historically, the United Nations have been supporting decentralisation in Lesotho for a number of years now, and we have learnt a number of precious lessons from the field, and are fully aware of the potential for synergies that may arise by working closely with other development partners, especially GTZ and the European Commission. All development partners are now ready to join forces to support the process of decentralisation as a whole rather than their single projects in isolation.

It is with this spirit that I would like encourage you to participate in- and contribute to the decentralization efforts of the Government of Lesotho. Your effort and commitment will surely help to enhance the possibility that people live with dignity in a prosperous society, in which all Basotho, regardless of their district of residence, have access to high-standard public services.

Kea Leboha