Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Loic Ntoutoume
Published on 2024-03-15 15:05:16
As Gabon prepares to take a new step in its process of managing local communities, the question of whether this long-awaited decentralization reform will become a reality or remain a distant goal lingers. The final report of the second meeting of the technical committee on decentralization, presented on March 15, 2024, sparks a debate on the effectiveness of this policy after decades of waiting.
After nearly two weeks of deliberations, the Permanent Secretary of the technical committee on decentralization presented the final report of the second meeting to the Minister of the Interior on March 15, 2024, in his capacity as the committee’s president. This marks a crucial moment in the long process towards decentralization in Gabon, but also raises questions about the actual implementation of this reform. Will this progress towards effective decentralization be a real step forward or will it remain just a bureaucratic exercise?
The second meeting, held at the Libreville City Hall from February 26 to March 8, 2024, brought together key stakeholders involved in the discussion on mechanisms and modalities for transferring state competencies and resources to local authorities. It was imperative to determine and propose a project for transferring state competencies and resources to local authorities, a schedule for transferring state competencies and resources to local authorities, and a law for programming the transfer of state competencies and resources to local authorities. These documents will need to be approved by the Transition Government, within the framework of the National Decentralization Committee, and then by Parliament before being implemented. A reform that has been awaited for 28 years.
Indeed, since the adoption of the Organic Law 15/96 of June 6, 1996, on decentralization, the expectations of Gabonese people regarding local governance have largely remained unmet. Despite speeches and promises, the implementation of decentralization has often been limited to superficial actions, leaving many unresolved challenges on the ground.
Therefore, as Gabon seems on the verge of taking a new step in its decentralization process, the population eagerly awaits to see if this reform will finally become a tangible reality or if it will remain a distant goal for future generations.
Read the original article(French) on Gabon Review
