The agreement was signed following CLGF’s approval of a project for GALGA, titled: Local government resource mobilisation, lobbying and advocacy strategies project for GALGA and local councils in The Gambia. The project will support GALGA to develop resource mobilisation, lobbying and advocacy strategies for the eight Local Government Authorities in The Gambia and for itself.
Signed on behalf of GALGA by its President and sitting Chairman of Basse Area Council, Mahamadou Ceesay and on behalf of CLGF by Ms Claire Frost, Head of Programs, the agreement entails CLGF's provision of funding to GALGA to develop resource mobilisation tools for local councils through an EU funded project on Empowering Local Authorities in partner countries for enhanced governance and more effective development outcomes.
The ten months project will contract a consultancy firm to develop resource mobilisation, lobbying and advocacy strategies for local councils, review and validation workshops and capacity building training for Local Councils, the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs and the Department of Community Development.
The main target outcome of this project is geared towards encouraging Local Councils in The Gambia to invest in own local resource mobilisation which will first of all allow them to identify hidden resources within their jurisdictions and mobilise them for increased service delivery.
This project fits well within the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) programme objectives that are designed to respond to members' needs, to strengthen local governance, capacity and skills base to improve service delivery, help tackle poverty and deliver development including the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
GALGA President Mahamadou Ceesay expressed deep gratitude to CLGF for their profound understanding of the imperative to foster the mobilisation of our ‘own’ resources within ‘our’ esteemed Councils. “This strategic approach shall undoubtedly foster an exponential enhancement in the provision of indispensable services to our esteemed taxpayers”.
He said with the development of the envisaged documents, GALGA has high expectations that there will be a positive shift in Local Councils’ resource mobilisation and their capacities will be enhanced to lobby for projects and advocate good practices in local governance, particularly on voluntary tax payment.
Ms Claire Frost, Head of Programs for CLGF, said among others, the pilot project looks to build productive intergovernmental relations through dialogue on the priority issues. She said it will also build the capacity of the local government authorities to play their essential role in intergovernmental relations and ensure that the voice of local government is heard in policy making and implementation.
GALGA - Tabokoto: 6 June 2024
