Local Development Infrastructure : Priority Projects Attract Concern

The Law No. 2019/024 of 24 December 2019 to Institute the General Code of Regional and Local Authorities empowers Regions and Councils as local authorities to carry out development projects. They are in the areas of economic development; environmental and natural resources management; spatial planning, regional development, public works, town planning and housing; health and social development and educational, sports and cultural development.
The projects are expected to emanate from the grassroots in order to serve and meet the pressing development needs of the populations. Local authorities that are Councils, Subdivisional Councils and City Councils are already at work, carrying out projects in diverse domains following the prescriptions of the law. The choice of the projects according to the law is not supposed to be arbitrary considering that there exist deliberative organs in the Councils and Regions with the endorsement responsibility. At the level of the Councils, the deliberative organ, which is the Council Board during its sessions in accordance with Section 168 of the law deliberates on “Urban documents, council economic, social and cultural development plans and programmes.” At the level of the Regions, the Regional Councils that correspond to Regional Assemblies in the North West and South West Regions that have special status, deliberates on development plans and programmes.
All these are ideal situations with regard to the choice of projects. On the ground, and in some council areas infrastructure projects are either constructed or are being constructed but the local population that are the supposed beneficiaries still decry lack of basic amenities and infrastructure in domains such as roads, energy and potable water supply and health facilities. On the field, one notices infrastructure projects such as council edifices, markets, motor parks, creational grounds cropping up.   Apparently projects are being executed and the question of priorities remain...