Anguilla News covers Anguilla and the wider
Caribbean.
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Boost for
Caribbean Local Government Reform Programme
Date Posted: May 04, 2008.
KINGSTON,(JIS): The region's local government reform
programme has been boosted with the contribution of $3.3
million (Cd$485,000) from the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA).
CIDA and the Caribbean Forum of Local Government Ministries
(CFLGM) signed the contribution agreement this morning (May
2) at the Canadian High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica.
Jamaica's Minister of State in the Office of the Prime
Minister with responsibility for Local Government, Robert
Montague, said that this agreement will aid with the local
government reform programme in Jamaica as well as the
region.
He noted that Jamaica is leading the region in the reform
process and "the rest of the region is looking on to see how
Jamaica is doing. As Caribbean people, we would want to
share our experiences and our good practices with the rest
of the region."
He noted that Canada, as a development partner, will be
funding some of the co-operation programmes, so that
countries in the region can learn from each other.
"As the president of the Caribbean Association of Local
Government Authorities, we also welcome this agreement and
we look forward .to having more tangible changes on the
ground in more island states to have local government either
being enhanced or being introduced,' the State Minister
further stated.
Mr. Montague also informed that the Office of the Prime
Minister will be hosting "a regional encounter with our
colleagues from across the region, so that we can hear from
them, so that we can share the good practices and we can
build good local governance that is accountable, that is
transparent, and that improves service delivery."
Vice-President of CIDA, Gilles Rivard, said that Jamaica's
good local government structure could be replicated
elsewhere in the region.
"We are going to initiate some projects in justice, and if
we can use the benefit of the work of Jamaica and Canada
elsewhere in the region, we are going to do it. We are going
to do projects in agriculture, and if it can serve other
countries, then it will be focused that way," he stated.
The CFLGM has been established as a network of Caribbean
Ministries with a mandate to promote and foster good local
governance throughout the region.
