Some local authorities can now afford to pay own staff
Published on: Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Penampang: Some local authorities in Sabah can already afford to pay the salaries of its officers and staff from their revenues, State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said, Tuesday.He said as the "third government" in the country, local authorities should be able to manage their own affairs while they continue to deliver good services to the public."We must understand that the local government is the third government in our country.
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They are given the powers to function based on laws which have been decided by the government so they can collect assessments and manage their own affairs. "There are District Councils which can now afford to pay their own staff," he said after officiating the 58th anniversary celebration of the Penampang District Council and its new administrative building.The minister said that the current state of development in the districts in Sabah should encourage some of the local authorities to be more financially independent."We can't compare with (the local authorities) in the past. They had challenges when collecting assessments because development was limited.
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But today they have developed. Businesses, residential areas and population have increased," he said.In relation to this, he acknowledged there is a need for the local authorities to have more staff to meet the demands and also to ensure good services are delivered to the public.
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He said this need should be referred to the State Public Service Department so that the local authorities' administration can be updated or improved."If I'm not mistaken, under the Local Government Ordinance, we can appoint officers or staff under contract or temporary basis."We need more staff. (But) first, we will have to look at our existing regulations and Local Government Ordinance. If this can be done, we can appoint (staff) because it will not cause any financial burden to the State or Federal Governments," he said.According to Hajiji, normally a local government is able to pay staff salaries when it proposes to the Government to increase its manpower.Also present during the ceremony was Penampang District Officer Luvita Koisun, councillors and representatives from the Barisan Nasional component parties.Penampang District Council was established in 1958 and was known as Jesselton Rural District Council. In 2015, the council received a 5-star rating for Accountability Index by the National Audit Department. It has also received other certifications from various government bodies.Meanwhile, Hajiji agreed with the call by Tourism Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun for proper planning and development without destroying the beauty of the district.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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