Committee on Decentralization Created

November 9, 2009

Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced yesterday the creation of  the Coordinating Committee on Decentralization (CCD) tasked to address problems and issues concerning the implementation of the government’s decentralization program.

“Decentralization is a key to national and local government development,” Puno  said.

The creation of the CCD came after officials and representatives of the participating agencies initialed the final draft of the committee’s Memorandum of Understanding  (MOU)  in simple ceremony held yesterday at Shangrilla Hotel in Mandaluyong City.

The MOU will be sent to the members of the executive committee of the CCD composed of the Secretaries of the DILG, Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the National Economic Development Authority,  as well as to the members of the policy dialogue group composed of the Presidents of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), for their final  signatures.

Puno, who also chairs the CCD,  said the committee  is vital not only in  addressing  concerns and issues on decentralization  but also in  enhancing  its implementation  as a  strategy  for  developement and progress.

Under the MOU, issues requiring legislative and policy decisions to facilitate the implementation of decentralization under the Local Government Code of 1991 shall be elevated to higher authorities.

The MOU also stipulates that among the functions of the CCD are: to act as an inter-government body for coordinating and harmonizing policies and operational activities related to decentralization and devolution; and explore consensus and build support for policy reforms related to improving local governance, local service delivery and devolution.

Aside from the executive committee and policy dialogue group, the CCD shall also maintain an oversight agency technical working group and a technical secretariat.

Puno said that the scope of the operational concerns of the CCD shall include, capacity building, credit and non-traditional local government finance, local government fiscal matters, budget and expenditure policy, local planning, local service delivery, performance measurement and devolution reforms.