The implementation of governance and public administration reform has improved various ministerial sectors in the country.
This conclusion was reached at a meeting held in Vientiane yesterday to review the National Governance and Public Administration Reform Programme (GPAR).
Strengthening Capacity for Service Delivery for Local Administration Projects (SCSD) and the Secretariat Supported Project are two of the schemes under the programme, which came to an end this year after five years of implementation.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Khammoun Viphongxay, said the two projects have been implemented with effective management and met the planned targets.
He pointed to the Governance Sector Working Group as an important stage for regular constructive consultation of the sectors related to governance.
I think we should continue to support the group next year and the years to come as it provides a good model for constructive consultation, Mr Khammoun said.
This showed the effective cross-sector collaboration between the government agencies and other organisations, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Justice, the National Assembly, provincial authorities and development partner organisations, he added.
Around US$8 million has been spent for GPAR projects in the past five years with funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Capital Development Fund, the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, the Republic of Korea, the Council of Government of Luxembourg, the Asian Development Bank and the European Union.
The deputy minister noted the District Development Fund (DDF) under the programme as a form of inclusive planning and decision making, saying the DDF has been implemented well with participation of many constituents at the local level.
According to a report delivered at the meeting, a challenge to the programme is the execution of the One Door Service Centre (ODSC), which members of the public confirmed has been implemented, but remarked, however, that the programme remains ineffective in mitigating the various bureaucratic barriers financiers face when investing in the country.
The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Home Affairs Department of Planning and Cooperation, Mr Nisith Keopanya, said the system needs improvement with more cross sector cooperation.
According to him, experts have been hired to assess the system services, who have recommended conducting service level benchmarking. Mr Nisith said the new model of ODSC will be tested in several locations before rolling out a working model. Justice, effective governance and public administration are necessary facilities for sustainable, inclusive development as well as poverty reduction, the Deputy Minister said.
Working effectively is fundamental for the country’s graduation from least developed status to a modern state, overcoming the challenges accompanied by regional and international integration, Mr Khammoun concluded.
Source: Vientiane Times
