LOCAL STEPS TO BIG CHANGE IN MOZAMBIQUE
In the heart of Guruč, Mozambique, the daily market pulses with life. Vendors sell everything from goats to tangerines while people bargain and gossip, sidestepping garbage that litters the aisles. Yet for all of its potential, the very market that should help foster a vibrant local economy has fallen victim to the overriding problem that burdens this young democracy.
When ARD project directors recently visited Guruč, they discovered that city employees had not been paid for seven months. Meanwhile, the weekly fees that are collected from market stalls, one of the city’s strongest sources of revenue, were not recorded in the city ledger. These were two examples of a broken system that erodes the trust between citizens and local government, a system that leads to a voter turnout in this town of less than 25 percent.
One city councilor attending a workshop to acquaint citizens with ARD’s steps to improve financial management in Guruč summed up the situation: “Now we know who our enemy is: It is disorganization and we have to fight against it.”
Guruč is not unique in this country that only 31 years ago was ruled by Portugal. In Mozambique, loyalty to political parties and to local elites make democratic governance a challenge. Although the central government distributes funds to all towns, and municipalities have been assigned responsibility for collecting property and poll taxes, most municipalities lack sufficient funds. They are unable to pay their employees, nor can they satisfy demand for services like clean water and sanitary conditions for the market. What little local revenue they do have enters a cycle of disorganization that opens opportunities for petty corruption and political cronyism.
ARD’s five-year project promotes basic reforms that strengthen the trust between citizens and local government, creating an environment of transparency that follows revenue from start to finish. In Guruč, ARD began with open community meetings that helped the city council gain a powerful voice in municipal decision making. Next, ARD enlisted the skills of an in-country public finance technician to improve fee collection, budgeting and accountability. In the market, for example, fee collection is now streamlined and carefully monitored.
With the new system thriving, local monthly revenue this year has increased 30 percent over five months. Consequently, Guruč has begun to pay off debts and pay employees on time. The change has also convinced once reluctant banks to reopen municipal accounts. ARD will replicate this experience in four more municipalities in Mozambique.
ARD’s project aims to build municipal strength across Mozambique, empowering the young democracy to thrive rather than simply survive. With municipalities now defining their own priorities rather than waiting for political parties to lead the process, small steps are turning into huge strides. |
