The role of mayors in the Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils New ways to generate revenue in light of the current economic crisis
Tue 16.11.2021
Beirut, 16 November 2021 – The second episode is about supporting local authorities to explore new ways to generate revenue in light of the current economic crisis . The Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils (DGLAC) invited municipalities and unions of municipalities to discuss ways to generate revenue within the current economic crisis during a second episode of the DGLAC talk show series. The municipalities of Karaoun, Fnaideq and Deir Qanoun El Nahr were invited to share their innovative approaches in generating municipal revenue within the current economic context to allow for mutual learning and to encourage and inspire other municipalities to implement similar initiatives.
Municipalities and unions of municipalities are deeply affected by the current economic crisis. Municipalities are limited in their ability to collect local fees and taxes and with the devaluation of the Lebanese Lira, their revenues have lost more than 90 per cent in value, for example. This results in significant challenges for municipalities and unions to deliver much needed services for their communities. In addition to the three municipalities that presented, municipal and union representatives attended online. Participants shared their views and concerns and discussed best practices and lessons learnt, with as aim to better serve their communities.
“We have a woman council, a diaspora council, and social solidarity volunteers teams to support reaching out to donors, work on development and basic services projects to develop and improve the town”, said Dr. Fatima Yassine, Deir Kanoun El Naher Community Member.
“This experience had a great impact; it is an evidence that societies and municipalities are capable of facing challenges and relying on themselves. Going to donors requires successful beginnings, which makes obtaining funding for development easier.” Said Dr. Mohamad Ali, Head of Environmental Committee, Recycling Center Supervisor, Fnaideq Municipality.
According to Article 28-43 of Decree No. 4082 regulating the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils (DGLAC) plays a crucial role in supporting municipal unions (UoMs) and municipalities in performing their role and responsibilities. In this role, it is responsible for supporting municipalities and unions with capacity-building, technical assistance and evidence-based planning, among other. As part of this role, DGLAC initiated the DGLAC talk show series for mukhtars, municipalities and unions of municipalities, to discuss key topics of local concern. The first episode, on the updating the municipal law, was organized in September 2021. In 2022, DGLAC will continue the series, including with an episode dedicated to mukhtars.
The DGLAC talk show series is delivered under the patronage of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and with support from the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project (MERP). MERP is a joint initiative implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and is funded by the European Union through its Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis “Madad Fund”.
To access the event photo album click HERE.
