Decentralisation ‘potentially hampered’ by lack of autonomy, report claims

AMMAN — While the transformation of municipalities has the potential to increase citizens’ participation in development efforts, municipalities’ roles remain “limited” due to a lack of political and financial autonomy, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

There is still a gap between the legal responsibilities of municipalities and the duties they carry out, such as the delivery of public services, the OECD suggested in its Open Government Review-Jordan. 

The review, titled “Towards a New Partnership with Citizens: Jordan’s Decentralisation Reform”, also suggested the absence of clear relationships between elected councils at the local, municipal and governorate levels, and between  elected councils and other entities. 

In addition, it highlighted that the new legal framework may create “unclear lines of responsibility and accountability”, while the interaction between ministries involved in the decentralisation reform plan “lacks institutionalising and a strategic dimension”.

Challenges cited by the report include the Kingdom’s hosting of the second-largest number of refugees per capita in the world, the economy’s high vulnerability to external shocks, the short lifespan of governments and parliaments, and the high centralisation of political power and administrative organisation. 

On the other hand, the preview — conducted in cooperation with ministries, governorates and municipalities — acknowledges some positive features of the Kingdom’s decentralisation plan, including the endorsement of the Jordan Vision 2025. 

The way forward, according to the review, includes enhancing the performance of local development units, and promoting closer collaboration and communication between the interior and municipal affairs ministries, as well as institutionalising mechanisms for the intergovernmental coordination of the decentralisation process. 

Speaking at a ceremony to announce the launch of the review on Tuesday, Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury said the report is part of a scheme to support Jordan’s efforts to achieve good governance and open government. 

“The Planning and International Cooperation Ministry has cooperated with the OECD to propose ways to enhance Jordan’s decentralisation efforts,” he said, stressing that the OECD is an organisation with substantial experience of local governance, democracy and decentralisation.

OECD Deputy Secretary General Mari Kiviniemi noted that the assessment comes at a timely moment ahead of the municipal and governorate council elections, saying that the organisation hopes to inspire “lively” debates between government officials and civil society.

Also during the event, French Ambassador in Amman David Bertolotti and Spanish Ambassador Santiago Cabanas Ansorena highlighted their countries’ experiences of decentralisation.