Improving the Provision of Services to Citizens and the Private Sector
370.
Under this component of the reform, the goals are to restructure public agencies at the central and local levels through decentralisation in order to achieve
greater efficiency and to improve the service delivery capability of public institutions. To this end, functional analysis and plans for restructuring were
finalised for the MDN, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), the
Public Prosecution Service, the Ministry for Veterans’ Affairs (MAAC), the Ministry of Mineral Resources (MIREM) and the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs
(MMAS). Various training programmes have been conducted for staff of central
and local governments, such as technicians from the Ibo, Mecufi, Montepuez
and Quissanga districts in Cabo Delgado province, the Gondola and Manica districts in Manica province, and Marracuene in Maputo province. To better serve
the private sector, Decree No. 14/2007, for establishing and regulating the
operation of customer one-stop shops, was published on 30 May 2007. At the
Ministry of Finance, budget implementation for 28 ministries and eight other
public agencies at the central and provincial levels has been computerised (eSISTAFE). More than 1 700 officials have been trained in the implementation of
the State Financial Management System (SISTAFE) and another 1 884 trained
through academic institutions. The ministry has also established a web portal
for public bidding at http://www.concursospublicos.gov.mz.
Strengthening the Capacity of Local Government
371.
Chapter IV of the Constitution empowers the government to decentralise powers to local state bodies and local authorities. Local state bodies (as they are
called by the Constitution) “represent the state at the local level in the administration and development of their respective territories”. Thus, the government will act in the localities through local state bodies to ensure more effective penetration of society, as well as efficient and effective service delivery.
As defined by the Constitution, the purpose of local administration (which is
composed of local representatives, as distinct from state officials in localities) is to enable citizens seek their own solutions to local problems and to
participate in governance. Consequently, the scheme of decentralisation, as
mandated by the Constitution, has a dual dimension and purpose, namely,
to ensure effective government presence in the localities while, at the same
time, enabling autonomous local self-determination in a defined sphere.
372.
Deconcentration, that is, the transfer of authority to field offices of ministries,
departments and agencies, was effected through Law No. 8/2003 of 19 May
2003. This law saw the establishment of provincial and district governments
charged with the implementation of government policies in the provinces and
supervision of the same in the districts. The provincial government is headed
by a Governor who is appointed by the President. The Provincial Administration is headed by a Permanent Secretary, appointed by the Prime Minister, and
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A P R M COU N T RY R EV IEW R EP ORT NO. 11
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