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President Michael Sata has been praised for his commitment and resolve towards shaping policies aimed at strengthening the local government system through decentralisation.
Delegates to the the joint 57th annual conference of the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) and 10th Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders Initiative for Community Action on AIDS
at Local Level (AMICAALL) made the commendation at the closure of the general assembly in Nakonde yesterday.
The joint annual conference and general assembly was held under the theme “In Pursuit of Integrated Solutions for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Agenda, today (July 20th), tomorrow
and beyond 2015.
The delegates resolved that a message of solidarity and appreciation be sent to President Sata for his personal commitment and support of the decentralization process as exemplified by the launch of the Revised National Decentralisation Policy on 16th July, 2013.
The delegates have also resolved that as the decentralization process takes root and in order to effectively contribute to the Millennium campaign, the association will lobby government to ensure that local authorities’ financial resources are commensurate with their tasks and
responsibilities.
The general conference also resolved that any transfer or delegation of tasks or responsibilities by government should be accompanied by corresponding and adequate financial resources which ought to be guaranteed in the Republican Constitution.
The delegates also resolved to engage government on the need to actively involve local government in the attainment of MDGs as well as in the formulation of the envisaged sustainable development goals after the 2015 target year.
The other resolve is that while the local political office is viewed as a commitment to the common good of society, the association will continue to engage government to ensure that the material and remunerative conditions of councillors are explicit and guaranteed.
In this regard, the remunerative conditions of councillors should be guaranteed in the Republican Constitution in the same manner as those applying to Members of Parliament and that action to revise the current rates of allowances for councillors be expedited without further delay.
As a contribution to the national multi-sectoral responses on HIV and AIDS, the local authorities have resolved to commit themselves to augment the support from the UN System in Zambia with their own resources by committing 5 percent of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and Ward Development Fund (WDF) as well as by increasing
budgetary provisions for HIV and AIDS and gender mainstreaming related activities.
Local authorities have also committed to collaborate with other district stakeholders, including District HIV/AIDS Task Forces (DATF), by prudently investing in priority higher impact HIV and AIDS programme areas targeting women, adolescents and children.
The week-long 57th Annual Conference of Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) and 10th AMICAALL General Assembly attended by local authorities country-wide was officially opened by Vice President Dr. Guy Scott on behalf of President Michael Sata on Monday.
