Somaliland has signed for the implementation of the Basic Education and Health Services Management Initiative.

The initiative under the United Nations Joint Programme on Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery (JPLG) for this year aims to strengthen local governance and enhance decentralized services in Somaliland and other regions of Somalia.

The JPLG coordinates its work with central and local governments, five UN partner agencies (ILO, UNCDF, UNDP, UN Habitat, and UNICEF), numerous development partners, as well as the private sector and communities. Activities are financed by Denmark, DFID, EU, SIDA and Switzerland.

JPLG is working with 7 districts (Berbera, Boroma, Burao, Gabiley, Hargeisa, Odweine, and Sheikh) to increase civil servants’ capacity, while developing processes and systems that more effectively deliver services to their constituents.

The JPLG has helped Somaliland’s administration to develop fora for citizens to engage in policy formulation, as well as systems that help prioritize projects while developing local partnerships for their implementation.

The ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa and attended by several ministers and was signed by the Ministers of Health and Education Development and Science and the mayors of the six cities in charge of Basic Services projects

BY ODINDO AYIEKO