Some concern has been raised about Prime Minister Bruce Golding's not naming a minister with specific responsibility for Local Government. In defending his decision at yesterday's swearing-in of Cabinet ministers, Mr. Golding reiterated his position that the concerns of the municipalities should be addressed primarily by councillors who are elected separately from Members of Parliament.

The need to reform local government has long been recognised by both major political parties even when the methods to be used have been the subject of partisan controversy. Indeed, the Jamaica Labour Party has often been on the defensive ever since the Seaga administration of the 1980s took away much of the responsibilities previously held by the councils and reduced central government's financial allocation.

Beyond the partisan posturing, however, there remains important issues to be addressed. In the new dispensation, councils will still need to address how best to raise revenue to tackle the issues such as road rehabilitation, sanitation, public cleansing, drain cleaning and maintenance of markets, among other things. The laws already exist to allow them to be more effective, but they have largely been lethargic in collecting revenue.

The previous government accepted the importance of local authorities having greater financial autonomy and, to this end, a Parochial Revenue Fund was established through which revenue such as property taxes could be channelled.

Mr. Golding has noted that his intention is to appoint a Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister to oversee the "capacity building" of the municipalities as they carry out their functions. Even while we support the general objectives, we await further and better particulars. For the fact is that some areas of responsibility which previously fell to the Local Government Ministry and removed in the 1980s were not reinstated by the PNP administration - among them an environmental warden programme. The country has since been paying the price with the expansion of squatter settlements in protected areas and the denuding of hillsides.

Properly functioning municipalities can help significantly in reducing the pressures on central government revenue as well as the demands made on the time and resources of Members of Parliament. For the reformed councils to work and have the impact envisioned, there will also have to be a significant paradigm shift - not only among elected councillors but from the general populace as well. People will have to wake up to the fact that they have a greater responsibility in demanding accountability from councils and councillors and not sit back expecting central government to step in to fill the gap as a matter of course. There is also need for greater clarification in roles and responsibilities. We have already seen much confusion and arguments over which agency should fix broken down infrastructure such as bridges and roads. Mr. Golding's charge to his Minister of State should help to clarify the approaches to be taken in addressing some of these issues.

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