Daily Star Article
22/01/2001
Jounieh's municipality reforms bring end to years of neglect with foreign aid, city's council is making life easier and faster for its residents
Most Lebanese have horror stories to tell about repeated trips to municipal offices, going from one room to another, getting endless papers signed without knowing how long the procedure will take, nor how much it will cost.
But for Jounieh residents who are looking for official papers or to get permits and licenses, however, things have improved dramatically. No more trips back and forth begging for a signature or an application. No more wasted time and frustration.
Last November, the municipality of Jounieh officially opened a citizens' reception office, a one-sاعلى الصفحة shop for all municipal procedures.
"People come in, fill out the relevant form, and pay the fees all in one room," said Fadi Barhoush, head of the municipality's budget committee. "What used to take two hours now only takes a few minutes. The citizen then takes a number sand comes back after a designated number of days to pick up his permit. It's really very simple." There is also a booklet that explains what papers and documents are required for every single municipal procedure indicating the amount of money that is required, and the exact number of days it takes for the requested permits and licenses to be issued.
"There's even a website where all municipal rules, regulations, and procedures are available for people to view before they come in to apply for their permits, " said Barhoush, who is also the official overseeing the implementation of the project. " We're determined to get rid of the endless loopholes that exist due to the lack of a system."
But the establishment of the reception office is only one of many changes taking place at the municipality, which are carried out under the umbrella of the Lebanon Relief and Redevelopment Project (LRRP).
Initiated in 1993, LRRP followed and agreement between the Lebanese government, the Center for Legislative Development (CLD) at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). With $3.4 million at its disposal, the project was set up to provide technical assistance to the Lebanese Parliament, the government accounts office, the civil service board, municipalities, and the central inspection board.
In 1998, the project focused its efforts on strengthening the capabilities of government institutions with the goal of implementing increased efficiency, accountability, and transparency the three key words in the memo of understanding signed in 1998 by USAID and the ministry of interior and municipalities.
Having started with a few pilot projects in the Choueifat municipality and about seven villages randomly selected from as far north as Akkar to the Bekaa region, westward to Beirut and all the way down south to Nabatieh, the project has taken off.
Now, two years later, LRRP is working in about 80 municipalities around the country establishing a standardized system where the existing rules and regulations are not just words on paper but rather laws that are accurately and efficiently implemented.
"In the past, each municipality implemented their procedures differently, "said SUNY/CLD project director Mahmoud Batlouni. "If the central government wants to do some kind of strategic planning, it needs to be able to get accurate information on each municipality. Standardizing the municipal system will make this possible."
According to Batlouni, this project is aimed at "providing a means to make the existing law applicable since sin most cases, it is not the law that's the problem but rather the lack of municipal tracking capabilities essential to implementing the law."
So what is it that SUNY/CLD is doing in these municipalities?
They are basically taking an existing administrative mess, and restructuring, reshuffling, and reorganizing it one rusty old file at a time. In the SUNY/CLD office meeting room hags a two-by-two meter poster board indicating the progress achieved in each one of the 80 municipalities being transformed. Providing everything from hardware including computers, printers, copiers, and faxes to software programs such as Oracle's municipal administrative systems, the project has left few stones unturned. Basic employee training in computer literacy and use of the newly installed software and workshops on how administrative procedures, based on existing laws, can be implemented are also part of the project.
"We want to see what they can do, see what we can do, and then join efforts and work together to strengthen the capability of municipalities to provide assistance to their citizens and municipal employees."
But as Batlouni and Jounieh Municipality staff reiterated, this was not a one sided effort. Representatives from SUNY/CLD did not come into the municipality, order people around and changes things irrespective of culture, heritage, and the views and perceptions of the municipality members and employees themselves.
"This is the only ways to do things, " said Batlouni. "The success of such a project is dependent on integrating the staff into the process of change. That's why, in the long run, the municipality projects are self- sustainable.
But are the employees happy about a bunch of foreigners telling them how they should organize themselves? It seems many have taken SUNY/CLD's efforts in the right spirit. "Look, this office needed some serious organization," said Jack Dibo, a 17-year veteran of the Jounieh municipality. " Personally, I like things to be done right so I can't but be grateful to these people for coming in and helping us get our act together."
Dibo, and many other municipality employees, are much better off today than they were before the initiation of this project for one major reason. They have gained skills that range from computer literacy to organizational and managerial skills that according to Dibo "will not only help us do our jobs quickly and more efficiently, but has left no more room for nepotism, corruption, and waste of valuable time and resources."
The employees are not the only ones happy about these changes. Sameer Deeb, a Jounieh businessman, said municipal procedures are no longer the headache they used to be.
"My friend needed to renovate his shop," said Deeb, "and this time, there were no bribes or harassment by the municipality like there used to be, so they must be doing something right."
Although this project was designed to provide administrative assistance to the local municipalities, it has also diminished opportunities for corruption and lack of accountability.
By implementing a computerized financial system, all funds collected directly by the municipality are tracked and accounted for, which leaves little room for foul play. As Batlouni bluntly put it, the most important achievement of scenario of citizens moving from one office to another with their hands in their pockets dishing out bills constantly at the mercy of the moods and whims of municipal employees."
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