Nurturing good governance is crucial

Fostering good governance is essential for the nation’s growth and socio-economic development.

However, in order to ensure good governance, there must be transparency in the way and manner our public officials take decisions and act on behalf of the people.

This requires consultation and participation of the people in deciding how matters relating to the citizens’ affairs are handled.

It, therefore, means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations, and are in conformity with our national laws.

In order to foster good governance in the country, it is also an absolute necessity to have a free flow of information, which should be freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions, and their enforcement either directly or indirectly.

Some of our sister countries in the sub-region have even enacted and successfully passed Freedom of Information Bill for free flow of information.

Fostering good governance is very significant for the well-being of all citizens, and it also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media.

Of course, the involvement and effective participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance.

It is important to point out that representative democracy does necessarily mean that the concerns of all, including the most vulnerable in society, would be taken into consideration in decision making.

It has been said that bad governance is being increasingly regarded as one of the root causes of all evil within our societies.

In fact, it is worth noting that many major donors and international financial institutions are increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition that reforms that ensure good governance are undertaken.

Such policies are very much essential in fostering accountability and good governance in the governance system, thus ensuring that public officials are held accountable for their actions.

Good governance is needed in central government, local councils, civil society organizations and so on.

For instance, people pay their taxes to their area councils, which in turn have the responsibility through those in charge to report back to the people through their elected representatives in the councils.

“No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent”.
Abraham Lincoln