• Government of Balochistan organized Development Partners Forum in Islamabad.
• Government of Balochistan asked donors for Rs7.7bn for implementation of CLLG Policy.
• IT has already allocated Rs 1.5 billion under PSDP 2023-24.

ISLAMABAD. The Government of Balochistan has asked donors for Rs 7.7 billion for the implementation of the Community-Led Local Governance (CLLG) Policy.

In the PSDP of fiscal year 2023-24, the Government of Balochistan has already allocated Rs 1.5 billion for the implementation of the CLLG policy. In this regard, a Development Partners’ Forum was organized by the Government of Balochistan in the federal capital Islamabad with the support of the European Union-funded BRACE Technical Assistance Project implemented by DAI.

In his opening remarks, Balochistan Additional Chief Secretary Mr Abdul Aziz Uqaili apprised that providing legal cover to community organizations in Local Government Act, 2010, approval of the CLLG policy, and developing an outlay of Rs9.2 Billion in PSDP 2023-24.

He said the Balochistan government’s allocation of Rs1.5 billion from its own share is a historical step and demonstration of the government’s strong commitment and belief in the community-led reforms which will transform the development landscape in Balochistan. He added that development partners and international donors need to come forward and play their role by joining hands with the Government of Balochistan.

While delivering Government of Balochistan’s Policy Statement, Mr Abdul Aziz Uqaili said that the CLLG policy is an important step towards the development and prosperity in Balochistan, but to make it a success, all relevant institutions and donors have to play their role.

“Balochistan, being the largest province, demands attention. With the support of the European Union, the CLLLG Policy has been formulated and in the future, EU support will be essential for the implementation of this policy. We also expect other donors to play their role,” he said.

Secretary Local Government & Rural Development, Balochistan M  Dostian Jamaldini said that through CLLG Policy, poverty will be dented in Balochistan, while health, education livelihoods, community infrastructure and other sectors will gradually improve.

He also gave a detailed briefing to the participants regarding the CLLG policy. He said that the launch of the policy is a remarkable achievement of BRACE Technical Assistance Team. He added that establishing and implementing this policy is very important, particularly for the development of rural areas of Balochistan.

He concluded that the European Union will support the Local Government & Rural development of Balochistan and the CLLG Policy to further consolidate their efforts.

Addressing the forum, EUD Representative Mr Stephen Langreal reflected on the role of the European Union Delegation in the policy reforms in Balochistan through BRACE Programme and the Technical Assistance.

He expressed his pleasure on behalf of the EU in working with the Government of Balochistan. He affirmed that the EU recognizes Balochistan as a priority area and will continue to support the development initiatives.

He highly appreciated the CLLG policy reforms being achieved by the Government of Balochistan. He reiterated the importance of accountability, transparency, and sustainability as policy principles for the European Union to ensure the funneling of resources to the grassroots level through the implementation of CLLG Policy Programme. He urged other development partners to join hands and support the Government of Balochistan in the implementation of CLLG Policy reforms for sustainable development in the province.

Talking during the panel discussion, Member Balochistan Assembly and Chairman Standing Committee Local Government Qadir Ali Nayel said that the local government system in Balochistan has been in existence for many decades and it has undergone various changes over the years.

“There are many issues and challenges that need to be addressed to improve the functioning of the local government system. The Balochistan Local Government Act 2010 was an important step towards improving local governance in the province, he said. However, with the passage of time, further reforms were needed to improve the functioning of the system.

Ms Mahjabeen Sheran, Parliamentary Secretary Women Development appreciated the CLLG policy reforms which provide equal opportunities for women to participate in the development process from planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating from their own perspective supported by the government and development partners under the CLLG Policy implementation.

Secretary Finance Balochistan Mr Zahid Saleem reflected back on the Government of Balochistan’s commitment towards community-driven reforms. He underscored that the GoB has not only developed the policy but also passed its PC-1 and allocated an outlay of Rs9 billion for the CLLG Policy Implementation Programme and approved Rs1.5 billion for the implementation of CLLG policy. He requested development partners for commitment and resource allocation to fill the gap of Rs7.7 billion for CLLG reforms implementation.

The World Bank representative appreciated the CLLG Policy and referred it to the global financial institution’s approach which has been adopted by the government of Balochistan and insisted on the policy’s implementation to achieve the ultimate goal of development in the Balochistan Province.

Mr Gul Muhammad Mengal, Director LG and Focal Person BRACE Programme insisted on continued technical assistance to the government in CLLG Policy implementation referring to the policy development process where EU-funded technical assistance has played the pivotal role to support in realizing the development of CLLG policy. He said it is now empirically evident support is required to ensure that the policy is implemented in its real sense to achieve the desired goals.

Dr Inaam-ul-Haq from International Islamic University stressed on the role of academia in CLLG Policy. He emphasized the importance of academia-based research which enables proper planning and implementation of community-based interventions and its evaluation for lesson learning and continuous improvements.

A community worker from Pishin district shared success stories of community-based interventions where community institutions play the key role in sustaining the development investments and a continued development process at grassroots level.

Ms Samra Ehsan, Additional Secretary Economic Affairs commended the efforts of Balochistan Government. She encouraged development partners to come forward and support the policy implementation through the allocation of resources. She appreciated the continued support of the European Union and urged to continue the technical assistance for sustainable implementation of reforms.

She ensured that EAD will play its pivotal role in channeling the funds from development partners to the GoB for the implementation of CLLG Policy and its long-lasting impact on grassroots communities.

Representatives of various international organizations including the European Union, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID, UNDP, ILO, GIZ, IFAD, UNNHCR, UN-IOM, Academia, and federal government including EAD, MOFA and Climate Change and others also participated in the event.

They appreciated the landmark policy reforms and pledge their support for the resource mobilization to supplement the efforts of Government of Balochistan for the implementation of CLLG Policy.