‘Restricted’ atoll councils will be empowered, minister says
Shareef said each atoll council should have a team of lawyers.
By
Aishath Maha
Local Government Minister Adam Shareef Umar said on Monday that the Atoll Councils should be empowered more than ever.
Adam Shareef appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Decentralization and said that the services available in the city will be made available at the Atoll Councils in order to facilitate the people.
“Some of the changes that have been made in the decentralisation system in the last 13, 14 years have eroded the power of the atoll councils. However, today, it is necessary to study how much of the limitations have brought about a positive change in the entire system,' he said.
"I believe that the Atoll Councils should be empowered in the decentralisation system”.
Adam Shareef said the current system does not make councils the most efficient places.
"There are major challenges for the rural council in some matters. If you say, for example, some legal issues, councils now have to hire a legal firm or person to get the best solution, the best advice," he said.
To address such issues, the atoll council should have a team of lawyers, a team that can assist in finance and management matters and a team of auditors, he said.
According to Shareef:
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A team of two can be hired as lawyers. One of the lawyers must be a Supreme Court level advocate
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The teams will be included among the civil service employees of the councils
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The teams will conduct programs to train employees working in councils at the atoll level
Meanwhile, the President has said that the number of councillors should be reduced. The President said three councillors instead of five would be sufficient for islands with populations of less than 3,000 and five councillors would be better for islands with populations between 3,000 and 10,000.
"However, these decisions will be taken in the light of technical studies," the president said last month.
The opposition MDP has said that the government is trying to reduce the number of councillors and change the decentralisation system to deprive the people of their power.
President Muizzu said the current number of councillors is financially burdensome and the aim is to reduce the number of councillors and provide better services.
"This is not a matter of numbers. We have to perfect providing services, we have to be sincere in providing services, we have to be honest in providing services, we have to be active. We don't need a crowd for it”.
