Autonomy to city corporations suggested
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) put forward a set of recommendations Tuesday to improve the city governance in a study on 'City Governance and Private Sector Development'.
The main purpose of the study is to demonstrate the importance of city governance, identify obstacles and find out strategy to improve civic amenities.
IBFB Research Director Dr ABM Mofizur Rahman presented the key findings of the study at a city hotel.
The recommendations include giving autonomy to the city corporations, increasing dignity of the mayor's post (equivalent to a minister's), revision of section 12 and 13 of the City Corporation Act-2009 and giving the charge of traffic control to city corporations, reports BSS.
The Forum also suggested increasing budgetary allocation for city corporations and boosting revenue earning, ensuring participation of private sector in beautification activities of city corporations and introduction of separate BCS cadre service for the local government institutions.
IBFB President Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, Vice President ATM Saidul Alam and Executive Director Brig Gen (retd) M Mofijur Rahman were present, among others, on the occasion.
Dr Rahman said, "A large section of the city corporation dwellers are still living under the poverty line although income of some people increased."
Haphazard placement of slum dwellers, unbearable traffic congestion, shortage of utilities, poor communication system and less access of city dwellers to city corporation services were the main problems of the city development activities.
He defined city corporations as engines of the national economy and said, city corporations must be given autonomy so that the engines are considered as good city governance.
He said the rate of urbanization process would reach 30 per cent by end of the year and 40 per cent by the next 10 years.
Mahmudul Islam, also a former lawmaker, said they had a plan to talk with the stakeholders at divisional level about the recommendations of the study and the study will formally be unveiled within August this year.
The main purpose of the study is to demonstrate the importance of city governance, identify obstacles and find out strategy to improve civic amenities.
IBFB Research Director Dr ABM Mofizur Rahman presented the key findings of the study at a city hotel.
The recommendations include giving autonomy to the city corporations, increasing dignity of the mayor's post (equivalent to a minister's), revision of section 12 and 13 of the City Corporation Act-2009 and giving the charge of traffic control to city corporations, reports BSS.
The Forum also suggested increasing budgetary allocation for city corporations and boosting revenue earning, ensuring participation of private sector in beautification activities of city corporations and introduction of separate BCS cadre service for the local government institutions.
IBFB President Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, Vice President ATM Saidul Alam and Executive Director Brig Gen (retd) M Mofijur Rahman were present, among others, on the occasion.
Dr Rahman said, "A large section of the city corporation dwellers are still living under the poverty line although income of some people increased."
Haphazard placement of slum dwellers, unbearable traffic congestion, shortage of utilities, poor communication system and less access of city dwellers to city corporation services were the main problems of the city development activities.
He defined city corporations as engines of the national economy and said, city corporations must be given autonomy so that the engines are considered as good city governance.
He said the rate of urbanization process would reach 30 per cent by end of the year and 40 per cent by the next 10 years.
Mahmudul Islam, also a former lawmaker, said they had a plan to talk with the stakeholders at divisional level about the recommendations of the study and the study will formally be unveiled within August this year.