Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-07-25

Constitution of new Local Government Authorities and Upgrading of the Existing Local Authorities

- Provisions have not been made with regard to the constitution of new Local Government Authorities or Upgrading of existing Local Authorities by law and therefore, previously various criterion have been followed for this purpose. As a result, the local authorities constituted are upgraded in an informal manner do not posses a viable economic background for their independent existence and the Government has to bear the expenses. Such Local Authorities have found it difficult to provide the public, the service they expected from such authorities.

A committee of experts comprising 12 members has been appointed by the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government in order to submit recommendations on introducing a policy on the Constitution and upgrading of Local Government Authorities in terms of the recommendations of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Local Government Reforms published in the year 1999. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government on the Constitution of Local Government Authorities or Upgrading of the existing Local Authorities based only on the criterion of population and population density, number of houses and density, service delivery and level of improvement of infrastructure facilities, spread of commerce and industries, employment and the self-generated revenue within the administrative area of the proposed local authority, as recommended by the said Committee of experts, was approved by the Cabinet.