Talatona – Angolan government launched Thursday the "Njila" project in the country’s capital, with the aim to strengthen the financial capacity of municipalities and improve local services supply.
Financed by the World Bank with 250 million US dollars for a five years implementation, the "Njila" the project covers eight provinces and 57 municipalities in the pilot phase.
It also aims to strengthen capacity in public finance management, drawing up and implementing municipal master plans, improve the civil registration process and issuing of identity cards and provide municipal public services.
Speaking at the presentation of the project, the Secretary of State for Budget and Public Investment, Juciene Cristiano de Sousa, spoke of the importance of training for the success of Njila, having defended the need for continuous training of local staff.
Belisário dos Santos, World Bank representative, on his turn, said the project is also aimed at progressively contributing to local autonomy and that, given its characteristics, reflects the Angolan government’s commitment to administrative decentralization and strengthening local governance.
Santos added the project is expected to increase the amount and reliability of fiscal transfers of 58 selected municipalities, to strengthen financial and land management capacity and the coverage of civil registration issuance.
"The project's components are designed to prepare the selected municipal administrations for the implementation of administrative decentralization by strengthening institutional structures and systems capacities, reforming regulatory and policy frameworks, simplifying, standardizing and modernizing processes for better service delivery at municipal level," he said.
Njila is a term that in some native languages of Angola means "path" and was chosen as the name of this initiative coordinated by the Ministry of Territorial Administration, in collaboration with the Ministries of Finance, Justice and Human Rights, Public Works, Urbanism and Housing and Public Administration, Labour and Social Security. MAG/TED/AMP
