The Local Government and Regional Development Ministry plans closer collaboration with other ministries and agencies next year in order to cut costs at the local government level while advancing development at the community level.
This is according to Minister Ganga Persaud, who told a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon at the ministry’s boardroom that the enhanced partnerships are part of a number of proposed interventions for the new year. He said the ministry plans closer collaboration with the Amerindian Affairs, Health, Public Works, Agriculture and Human Services and Social Security and Labour ministries in an effort to cut costs and the regional and Neighbourhood Democratic Council levels, according to the Government Information Agency (GINA).
Persaud also said that plans are in train to work closer with the Ministry of Housing and Water to address the handing over of a number of completed housing schemes to municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to create additional revenue for them.
At the level of permanent secretaries, there will be monthly meetings with technical officers to rectify any setbacks that may occur at the administrative levels, GINA said. According to Persaud, the ministry “is currently taking stock of its human resource capacity to reshuffle persons to areas that match their capabilities so as to maximize their potential and the efforts of the ministry at the regional and community levels.” Training will be another priority area as the ministry continues to focus on in-house training for staff, with special emphasis on enhancing monitoring and evaluation capabilities. This includes training for soon-to-be-sworn-in Regional Democratic Coun-cillors and persons to monitor projects at the community level.
GINA said the ministry trained 33 persons from communities in regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten last year, as Voluntary Supervisors for government projects such as the construction of roads, bridges and buildings in their areas.
