The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development held its fourth decentralisation consultative forum with key stakeholders in the capital today.

Minister, Erastus Uutoni, reminded the stakeholders that bringing services closer to the grassroots level remains one of the of government's top priorities.

The forum will discuss best practices,  progress made over the years and will collectively devise strategies on how to overcome existing stumbling blocks.

Erastus Uutoni says government has put in place a range of initiatives to ensure that public service delivery systems are responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people.

One such initiative is the adoption of the National Policy on Decentralization which the minister says is testimony to the recognition of the strategic positioning and role of sub-national governments Regional and Local Authority councils as conduits for development and service delivery due to their unique knowledge of local needs and their proximity to local communities. 

Therefore, says Uutoni, central government institutions, cannot afford to operate in silos at a time when government is expected to meet important goals. 

He pointed out the importance of harmony between national and local development priorities and the relationship between central and subnational governments.

Regional councils are the arms of government closest to the people and Uutoni reminded them to be on alert at all times and be responsive to the needs of communities within their jurisdictions.