In an interview with Correspondents, Minister of Local Government (MoLG) Bidad Qanso talks about a package of procedures intended to advance municipal services, MoLG’s projects and budgeting and monitoring systems.

Mr. Qanso, with what has the MoLG provided Libyans and what hinders its work?

In an interview with Correspondents, Minister of Local Government (MoLG) Bidad Qanso talks about a package of procedures intended to advance municipal services, MoLG’s projects and budgeting and monitoring systems.

Mr. Qanso, with what has the MoLG provided Libyans and what hinders its work?

The MoLG is the backbone of the state; it includes all municipalities and through them it provides services to people, pending the creation of governorates inside Libya. What impedes MoLG’s work is the deteriorating security situation that hampers governorate building and the financial situation. Although, over the last period, have provided most municipalities with their allocated budget.

How do you communicate with the municipalities, especially the eastern municipalities, under two governments: the Interim Government and the Government of National Accord?

Regardless of the labels of the government of eastern or western Libya, we do communicate with the mayors of the eastern municipalities, most recently with the mayor of Al Abraq. We also communicate with nearly 1o municipalities in eastern Libya, including Benghazi and even up to Musaid on the border with Egypt.

The security situation however hampers further cooperation since the mayors of eastern Libya cannot come to Tripoli.

In this case, how do your practice your powers?

Currently, we give municipalities budgets to render various health, educational and economic services to people. It suffices that we are dealing with all municipalities, heedless of the division.

How much are the earmarked budgets?

I do not have accurate information about the budgets that were allotted before my appointment. Since my appointment, however, all municipalities received budgets ranging from LYD 500,000 to 10 million ( USD 356,000 to 7 million). Through these amounts, mayors achieve something on the ground in their municipalities, if they want it.

Certain procedures will be in place to monitor disbursement where an ad hoc committee has been set up to follow up budget disbursement and I personally will follow-up on the issue.

Why is not there any significant development in the southern municipalities?

For southern Libya, I was a social activist in the field of reconciliation before I became a minister and I was always in touch with tribal notables and leaders, more than with mayors, since the latter in fact failed to deal with the situation in southern Libya. Most of them reside outside their municipalities, not due to the bad security situation there, but for recreation in one of the beaches of the coastal towns. They consider it more important than serving their constituencies.

We are now developing procedures that oblige all mayors to reside in their municipalities, except in emergency situations such as travelling for treatment, so as to be aware of what is going on in their municipalities and thus provide better services to their areas.

Does the MoLG have any urgent issues now?

The MoLG has no centralized projects. Each municipality has its own peculiarities, needs and projects such as agriculture, roads, electricity, infrastructure, etc. This is a local affair.

Some mayors spare no effort to provide services to citizens, such as the mayor of the municipality of Abu Salim in Tripoli where he is currently implementing some old projects that were suspended in 2008 and 2009. The mayors of Souk Jumaa and Sabratha are trying to implement stalled projects like road repairs. The suspended projects of the municipality of Sabha in southern Libya need to be reactivated and implemented, but unfortunately the mayors of southern Libya do not think they are responsible for providing services to people; on the contrary, they wait until services come to them.

Some mayors participate in political dialogues and support one party of the Libyan political conflict. Is this not incompatible with their duties?

Mayors are supposed to be away from political conflicts since they are tasked with servicing people. This is why I have issued a decision forbidding any mayor from leaving his municipality unless by MoLG’s prior permission and certain actions will be taken against violators. Also, they may not communicate with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya without MoLG’s prior approval.

What is your plan to eliminate centralization?

During a meeting with the mayors, we discussed the transfer of some competencies to municipalities directly, such as health, transportation and utilities. This is a first step pending the overcoming of all difficulties and the transfer of powers to the municipalities.

The problem is that some municipalities have burdened the state budget through employing a large number of people – exceeding 1,500 – without any approved budget. Therefore, this should be controlled.

Do you have a clear solution for the lack of liquidity experienced by all municipalities?

This issue will not be resolved currently, not even if LYD 40 billion (USD 28 billion) were made available. This is attributed to several factors, including the fact that the withdrawn amounts are stored in houses or they go to traders or to the Egyptian or Tunisian borders. Some LYD 24 billion (USD 17 billion) are outside banks, and nearly eight billion are between the Egyptian and Libyan border. This is because Libyans do not trust the defected banking system.

The crisis is aggravated by people, banks and even the Central Bank of Libya. In southern Libya, especially in Sabha, bank managers refused to start paying out bank transfers on the pretext of security factors, although that would have helped liquidity go into banks. Now, however, most Libyan regions, including those in Southern Libya like Ubari, Traghan and Ghadwa as well as the Nafusa Mountains have embarked on paying out transfers.