By Fohad Mbaimba Kallay in Kono
The Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Jonathan Titus Williams, has officially launched the District Development Coordination Committee operational guidelines in Bombali District Council Conference Hall in Magbema.
He expressed profound satisfaction over the valuable inputs Local Councils and District stakeholders made during the draft preparation process and identification of District Development priorities, considering it as a major agenda item in the November 2023 DDCC meeting.
He intimated that those inputs formed part of the 2024- 2030 Medium Term National Development plan recently launched by His Excellency Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio.
Dr. Williams emphasized the importance of the documents, citing the need to jointly own them and make them a working tool.
" The recent launch of MTNDP 2024 - 2030 is a transformative acceleration of the agenda for food security, human capital Development, and job creation, and it is positively correlated with the big five game changers of the President's manifesto," he said.
He underscored the need for CSOs, MDAs, and other Development partners to embrace the Big Five game changers, which he described as economic enablers. He disclosed that the Institutionalization of DDCC into the revised Local Government Act 2022 marks a great feat.
He said, " I urge you all to evaluate the DDCC to advise the Committee in a much more sustainable way. "
Dr. Williams further expressed that the achievements of the DDCC case studies have necessitated a call for the program's ownership and sustainability. The Deputy Minister stated that there was a need for the orientation of newly elected Council officials to have an in-depth DDCC on the mode of operation.
He requested each Local Council to develop a sustainable plan for delivering efficient services in the localities.
The Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Jonathan Titus Williams, called on local Councils to think of innovative ways to make the DDCC self-sustaining, thereby relying on capacities beyond extended support.
The Chairperson of Tonkolili District Council, Madam Yabom Taslim Sesay, applauded the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development for providing the local councils with the needed technical backstopping in managing their respective DDCCs across the country.
She assured of her steadfast commitment to consolidating gains in achieving the DDCC objective. She further stated that the DDCC had greatly helped local Councils deliver Services to their people.
Making his submission, the Bombali District Council Chairman, Dr. Mohamed Mark Babah Sesay, said that the Local Councils are champions of Development and implored all to join him in his course to transform Communities that haven't Development so they can be placed in a better position.
He assured of his cooperation to sustain the DDCC and make it as effective as desired. The District Council Chairman called on implementing partners to cooperate with the local Councils in delivering effective and efficient services.
The Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development did the presentation of the hard copies of both the DDCC Operational Guidelines and the abridged version of the MTNDP 2024- 2030 to District Council Chairpersons, Mayor, and Chief Administrators.
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