The Parliamentary Committee on Local Government and Community Affairs has urged the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) to accelerate reforms aimed at strengthening local governance, improving service delivery, and enhancing accountability across Sierra Leone’s 22 Local Councils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The engagement, held in Committee Room One at Parliament Building, Tower Hill, formed part of Parliament’s constitutional oversight responsibilities to assess the Commission’s performance, review the implementation of its statutory mandate, identify operational challenges, and explore areas where legislative support may be required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Peter Yaba Koroma, welcomed the Chairman, Commissioners, and Executive Secretary of the LGSC and reaffirmed Parliament’s constitutional responsibilities of lawmaking, representation, and oversight. He stressed that effective governance depends on strong accountability mechanisms and reminded the Commission that cooperation with parliamentary oversight processes is a constitutional obligation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Committee also acknowledged the attendance of the Commission’s leadership and noted that the institution had only recently been reconstituted after operating for an extended period without a substantive Chairman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presenting on behalf of the Commission, Dr. Falla D. Lamin, Chairman of the LGSC, outlined the institution’s key mandates under the Local Government Act of 2022. These include the development of a comprehensive Human Resource Policy for Local Councils, implementation of the Integrated Performance Appraisal System (IPAS), enhancement of service delivery standards, and monitoring compliance with regulations governing local government administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Lamin acknowledged that the Commission had faced significant institutional challenges, including the absence of a substantive Chairman for nearly two years, which had affected its ability to fully realize its mission and vision. He assured Members of Parliament that the newly constituted Commission was committed to strengthening local governance structures and improving public service delivery nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Executive Secretary Abdul R. Conteh informed the Committee that the Commission had benefited from support under the World Bank-funded Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery Project. He highlighted several achievements, including a Capacity Needs Assessment, a Management and Functional Review conducted through the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU), recruitment exercises for Local Council staff, initial training on the Integrated Performance Appraisal System, and the development of recommendations for institutional reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He clarified that the report submitted to Parliament reflected activities undertaken during the reporting period and did not capture the entirety of the Commission’s statutory responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During deliberations, Hon. Momoud Kamara expressed concern over the limited scope of activities outlined in the report and questioned whether sufficient progress had been made toward achieving the Commission’s stated mission and vision. Members observed that despite the extensive powers granted under the Local Government Act, the Commission’s achievements appeared modest and called for a more proactive approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Providing strategic guidance, Hon. Emerson Lamina, Leader of Government Business II, urged the Commission to prioritize the development and implementation of a comprehensive Human Resource Policy for Local Councils, strengthen performance appraisal systems, improve monitoring and compliance mechanisms, and conduct regular field inspections across all Local Councils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further encouraged the Commission to revive the Local Governance Performance Assessment System, pursue fiscal decentralization reforms, engage development partners for institutional support, improve local revenue generation mechanisms, and advocate for enhanced welfare and retirement benefits<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The Parliamentary Committee on Local Government and Community Affairs has urged the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) to accelerate reforms aimed at strengthening local governance, improving service delivery, and enhancing accountability across Sierra Leone’s 22 Local Councils. The engagement, held in Committee Room One at Parliament Building, Tower Hill, formed part of Parliament’s constitutional oversight […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n