Reforms Under Way To Improve Municipal Services Under UK Aid Programme: DC

Deputy Commissioner Tahir Farooq has said that comprehensive reforms are being made to improve the quality of municipal services, including administrative, financial affairs and professional training of officers and employees of the metropolitan corporation Sialkot and municipal committee Sambrial, under the UK Aid Sub-national Governance Programme

SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Oct, 2021 ) :Deputy Commissioner Tahir Farooq has said that comprehensive reforms are being made to improve the quality of municipal services, including administrative, financial affairs and professional training of officers and employees of the metropolitan corporation Sialkot and municipal committee Sambrial, under the UK Aid Sub-national Governance Programme.

The aim is to strengthen the local government and these institutions to get rid of budget deficit through re-engineering and automation through an on-source revenue system.

He expressed these views while giving feedback comments of the Sub-national Governance Programme UK Aid to the delegation of British High Commission Islamabad during an important meeting held at the DC office.

The delegation included Head Governance Reforms and Institutions Team (British High Commission) Bianca Jinga, Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for SNG-II Programme Naveed Aziz, Punjab Development Adviser Sana Zia, Deputy Programme Manager Muhammad Ali, Programme Coordinator Athar Waqar and PFM Adviser Anam Hussain.

The DC said that there are various challenges in the service delivery of local governments. During the rainy season in Sialkot city, there is a serious problem of urban flooding in downtown areas, sewerage-line and water supply system has rotted which has made clean drinking water polluted and harmful to health.

At the district level, 55pc of the vacancies in local government institutions are vacant and the training and capacity of the existing employees is also a major issue, the DC said.

He said only 38pc of the approved posts are available for sanitation and sewerage work. However, due to constant transfer postings, local government officials seem unable to perform.

The Punjab Local Government academy is providing technical support for designing the training module. He said that the illegal profiteering, crisis of edibles can be avoided by automating the pricing and supply system of vegetables and fruits in the vegetable and fruit market.