Bahaa Helmy Writes: Towards Strengthening the Decentralization of Local Administration Units

At first glance, the subject of local government or local administration units seems heavy on the heart, since it points to the entrenched image we have of a deep system of corruption.

But the truth is that we are trying to shed light on some of the problems of the local administration system and the legal powers granted to it, in order to reach the best solutions to move the work forward and to raise the rates and quality of performance for the benefit of the citizen and society under the umbrella of the rule of law.

Work and success do not come from wishes or good intentions alone, but from many factors, the most prominent of which is adherence to the professional, legal and ethical conduct that the service provider must display in all positions, together with follow-up, oversight and evaluation to achieve the highest hoped-for rates of government performance.

First, we must know the components of the local administration units before learning about the legal powers and authorities vested in these units, which enable them to solve the problems they face on the ground.

We find that the local units consist of the governorates; the districts, cities and neighbourhoods; the village local units; the local council of the governorate; and then the new urban communities within the geographical area.

These units are supposed to manage all the public utilities located within their area, and to exercise all the competences exercised by the ministries under the laws and regulations in force, and the governorates are supposed to exercise all the competences relating to public utilities that do not fall to the local units.

And although the law establishes that the governor represents the executive authority in the governorate, and must oversee the general policy of the state and the service and production utilities within the governorate, enforce the laws and systems of governance and the state’s strategies for combating corruption, and work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

The House of Representatives failed to pass the new law in its concluded session, while the current law does not grant any real powers or authorities that strengthen the governor’s role in overseeing and coordinating the work of all public utilities and the branches of ministries whose competences have not been transferred to the local units.

How can the governor express or propose the necessary solutions for developing production and good performance, or for solving a problem concerning one of the basic utilities within the governorate, as long as he is not legally authorized to do so? Here the question arises: does the governor have the right to study or discuss any problem within his geographical jurisdiction with the parties to it, whether governmental or civilian? And what prevents it?

And if the governor represents the executive authority in the governorate, why is the Prime Minister entrusted with holding meetings to discuss the means of supporting cooperation and coordination between the ministries and the governorates and exchanging views on how to overcome the obstacles that may stand in the way of the activity of the local units? Why place the burden of those responsibilities on the Council of Ministers?

It is emptying the authority of the local units of its content, and making it a model of an official who rules over what he does not own.

We do not say that local government has become purer and more innocent than before, or that all its work conforms to governance and transparency, nor do we call for granting it a certificate of innocence for the violations of some of its employees that have affected Egyptian society negatively; rather, we call for strengthening the decentralization of local government units and giving them confidence in their performance, especially the governors.

They must be given more legal powers and authorities within their geographical jurisdiction to coordinate with all the representatives of the ministries, authorities and agencies to study and solve the accumulated problems, especially those relating to the basic services and utilities required by citizens.

With the results of those studies and solutions being submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval in line with the development plans and the approved budgets.

The approach of applying decentralization in local government, with the continuation of the state’s policy of choosing the most competent people to hold positions in the local units, is a golden opportunity to strengthen the approach of innovation and creativity in accordance with the law, and may be the real refuge for bringing about a qualitative leap in strengthening the capabilities of local government and developing it so that it walks the road of success and keeps pace with the steps of modern Egypt.