NBR — Concern Universal, in partnership with The Association for Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO), Thursday held a day's sensitisation for the members of the Regional Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on the Local Government Act 2002 and decentralisation process.

The project, 'Strengthen Advocacy Capacity Civil Society in The Gambia', is aimed to equip members of the Regional Technical Advisory Committee to enhance efficient service delivery, and the sensitisation was funded by United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF).

Speaking at the ceremony, Lamin Queen Jammeh, NBR governor, underscored the importance government attached to decentralisation and local government administration. According to him, the objective of the project is to raise awareness of TANGO members and government on the importance ofjoint policy engagement.

He said capacity enhancement of the Regional Technical Advisory Committee would contribute immensely in raising more public awareness on the significance of decentralisation and efficient service delivery. Jammeh commended Concern Universal and TANGO for complementing the efforts of the government, in equipping the people to take ownership of their own development undertakings. He urged the TAC members to be proactive in promoting and streamlining government decentralisation process for the attainment of sustainable development.

Tamba Kinteh andAlhaji Lamin Ceesaychief executive officer and chairman of Kerewan Area Council respectively, lauded the efforts of Concern Universal and TANGO for strengthening the knowledge of the TAC members in the decentralisation process.

The Council officials used the opportunity to call on the TAC members to be proactive in enhancing the principles of decentralisation and good governance.

For his part, Burang Danjo, the project officer of Concern Universal, noted the importance the organisation and UNDEF attached in strengthening local government reform and decentralisation process. He reiterated that the capacity enhancement of TAC would provide platform for ongoing and meaningful government-civil society dialogue. Danjo added that strengthening advocacy capacity of civil society organisations would accelerate the decentralisation process and good governance.

A representative of TANGO, Kebba K Barrow, also applauded the efforts of Concern Universal for strengthening the capacity of TANGO in promoting good governance and the decentralisation. According to him, raising public awareness on the Local Government Act and decentralization calls for active participation of NGOs. He assured them of TANGO and Concern Universal's support in enhancing the capacity of regional Technical Advisory Committee in facilitating sustainable development and poverty reduction.

In his power point representation, Magistrate Dawda Jallow stressed the need for council to utilise the potential of the TAC members in the design and implementation of regional plans, as enshrined in the Local Government Act.He said local councils are the planning authority of the Local Government Act, noting that the roles of NGOs are to complement the efforts of government in poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Magistrate Jallow urged the council to develop comprehensive and uninterrupted regional plans that would address the emerging development need of tax payers, noting that it would serve as bench mark for NGOs and other civil society organisations in implementing programmes that would address development needs of the people. He used the opportunity to call on the TAC to have regular meetings as outlined in the Local Government Act.