Posts Tagged ‘sector’

Logging in the shadows: how vested interests abuse shadow permits to evade forest sector reforms

Posted by admin on May 1st, 2013

Systematic abuse of small, poorly regulated logging permits in Africa by companies, forest officials and politicians is undermining efforts to fight deforestation and keep illegal timber out of the EU, says a new report by Global Witness.

The new report, Logging in the shadows, identifies a largely hidden pattern of abuse across Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana and Liberia, in which permits designed to promote small businesses and meet local needs are being allocated in their hundreds to industrial logging companies. These “shadow permits” open the door to highly lucrative, large-scale logging operations which bypass oversight by the authorities.

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Global Witness welcomes EU decision to maintain sanctions against Zimbabwean diamond sector

Posted by admin on February 19th, 2013

Global Witness today welcomed news that EU foreign ministers have agreed to maintain restrictive measures against state-owned Zimbabwean diamond mining company, ZMDC, but warned that gaps in the sanctions list could mean Mugabe’s forces still receive off-budget revenues from diamond sales.

The London-based campaigning group last year published detailed evidence indicating that revenues from joint-venture diamond mining companies, of which ZMDC is the Zimbabwean partner, are providing off-budget financing to ZANU-PF controlled security forces with a history of committing electoral violence.

“It’s good news that sanctions against ZMDC will be maintained,” said Global Witness diamonds campaigner, Emily Armistead. “Global Witness’ investigations point to a serious risk that diamond revenues could be used to fund violence in this year’s election. Maintaining sanctions against ZMDC will limit that flow of cash. However, the EU could have gone further to prevent diamond revenues funding ZANU-PF security forces. In particular, we are concerned that Zimbabwe’s largest diamond company, Anjin, is part-owned by the military but is not covered by restrictive measures.”

Negotiations over the sanctions were rumoured to have been especially heated with Belgium leading the call for measures against the ZMDC to be dropped. Last week Global Witness accused Belgium of favouring the interests of its diamond traders over Zimbabwean democracy.

Global Witness’ research has revealed links between joint-venture diamond mining companies in the Marange region of Zimbabwe and military, police and intelligence organisations loyal to Mugabe. When elections last took place in 2008, these same groups were involved in attacks against the opposition, reportedly killing over 200 people and torturing thousands.

The decision by ministers to maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe’s diamond mining sector sends a clear signal to European diamond trading companies that they must source diamonds responsibly. However, weak industry self-regulation all along the diamond pipeline means that Marange diamonds may still find their way onto European markets.

“European diamond companies must carry out checks on their supply chains to make sure their purchases are not fuelling risks of human rights violations in Zimbabwe. Member states should enforce the restrictive measures and ensure they are applied to polished diamonds entering the EU,” continued Armistead.

ENDS/

Contact: Emily Armistead on +44 207 492 5888; +44 7885 969 480; [email protected] or Annie Dunnebacke on +44 207 492 5897; +44 7912 517 127; [email protected].

Notes to editors:

  1. Restrictive measures against Zimbabwean individuals and companies have been in place since 2002 and are reviewed annually.
  1. Global Witness’ investigations indicate that ZMDC, joint venture company Anjin, and businessman Sam Pa are involved in off-budget financing of military, police and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), a secret police force loyal to ZANU-PF. For more information on Global Witness’ research into these links, see http://www.globalwitness.org/library/update-following-financing-parallel-government-report and http://www.globalwitness.org/library/zimbabwes-diamond-sector-and-eu-restrictive-measures
  1. The Kimberley Process is a government-to-government certification scheme for rough diamonds set up in 2003 to prevent diamonds from fuelling conflict and human rights violations. Global Witness withdrew from the Kimberley Process (KP) in 2011. A key reason for leaving the process, which defines conflict diamonds as those used to fund rebel groups, was its failure to address problems in Zimbabwe’s diamond sector. In 2012 the KP gave a green light to all exports from diamond mining operations in Zimbabwe, despite concerns raised by Global Witness and other civil society organisations.

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Zimbabwe’s Diamond Sector and EU Restrictive Measures

Posted by admin on February 13th, 2013

Global Witness’ investigations indicate that ZMDC, joint venture company Anjin, and businessman Sam Pa are involved in off-budget financing of military, police and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). We believe that these funds could be used in violence and repression in the run-up to Zimbabwe’s election, due to take place this year. This short briefing for policy makers outlines why these three entities should be subject to the European Union’s restrictive measures.

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Promised forest sector reforms failing to materialise, study finds

Posted by admin on February 7th, 2013

Public access to information remains a major obstacle to saving rainforests 

Commitments to improve public access to information over how forests are managed in developing countries are not being met, said Global Witness on the publication of its fourth Annual Transparency Report for the forest sector. The study analysed progress across seven African and Latin American countries and found that in each case, governments continue to sign away forests whilst failing to make their forest sector more open.

David Young, Campaigner at Global Witness, said of the report “People will never be able to decide what should happen to their forests, or hold their governments to account, unless they are consulted about proposed deals before they are signed. This analysis shows that governments have made lots of the right noises, but too little is changing in practice. Greater investment is urgently needed to make sure the promised information reaches the right people in the right way at the right time.”

Since 2009, Global Witness and local environmental watchdog organisations in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Liberia and Peru have documented how well governments have met their commitments to improve forest sector transparency.  The results of four annual assessments show that:

  • Unless international efforts to stamp out illegal timber focus on transparency in producer countries, as well as entry controls in importing countries to determine where timber comes from, they risk rubber-stamping a corrupt status quo.
  • Forest authorities often fail to comply with their duty to publish key documents and data as required by freedom of information laws and forest sector-specific obligations.
  • The rights of indigenous forest peoples and forms of community forest management have received little attention from governments compared to commercial forest resource exploitation.  They need to be prioritised.
  • New regulations and laws are liable to be undermined from one side by popular resistance and the other by corruption unless developed through an explicitly open and consultative process. Efforts to include all stakeholders in decisions must be improved.
  • The timber industry avoids and delays paying its dues and funds are not reaching local forest communities.  Governments, industry and civil society need to become more transparent in distribution and investment of forestry royalties and incentives.
  • Too little consideration is given to what the best use of the forest is, particularly in an era of climate change. Mining, oil, agro-industry and other projects on forest lands are frequently agreed behind closed doors with little consideration of environmental impacts. 

Jonathan Yiah, Coordinator at the Sustainable Development Institute in Liberia, summed up how a lack of transparency affects forests, and people who depend on them, in his country: “Forests are crucial to the planet and the people that live in them, yet they are under severe threat from logging, mining and land grabs. Poor management and corruption too often facilitates forest destruction and means the rights of those who live in them are often ignored.”

/ Ends

Contact:  David Young, Global Witness: +44 7854 047826 [email protected] 

Notes to editors:

The Annual Forest Sector Transparency Report card is published as an interactive database at www.foresttransparency.info. 

The report card is part of Global Witness’ Making the Forest Sector Transparent project, funded by the UK Department for International Development Governance and Transparency Fund, http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Working-with-DFID/Funding-opportunities/Not-for-profit-organisations/Governance-and-Transparency-Fund-GTF-/

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Ecova Helps Clients Manage and Reduce High Energy Costs in the Food Sector

Posted by admin on January 14th, 2013

SPOKANE, Wash.–()–Ecova, a total energy and sustainability management company, today
announced its growing presence in the food sector is helping many of the
country’s most popular and well-known establishments become more energy
efficient while reducing operational costs.

“Ecova
helps many clients in the food service industry recognize irregularities
in billings, track their energy use trends, and identify opportunities
for cost and energy use efficiencies. This results in significant
savings that impact the bottom line and demonstrate environmental
responsibility, which is increasingly important to consumers.”

Ecova is carving out a strong presence and reputation in the food
sector. Current food industry clients represent 54 percent of casual
dining restaurants and 35 percent of quick-serve establishments with
more than 50 locations in North America – a reflection of a growing
trend in the food service industry to reduce energy consumption and
cost. Customers have been frequenting restaurant and fast food
establishments less often since the economic downturn of 2008, so it is
essential that restaurants control and reduce operational costs.
Furthermore, restaurants are under greater pressure to act as
environmentally responsible as possible.

“Identifying and reducing utility costs is an important part of the
process when looking to decrease operational expenses, as utility bills
are the third largest budget item for many companies,” said Seth
Nesbitt, SVP and General Manager, Marketing & Technology, Ecova. “Ecova
helps many clients in the food service industry recognize irregularities
in billings, track their energy use trends, and identify opportunities
for cost and energy use efficiencies. This results in significant
savings that impact the bottom line and demonstrate environmental
responsibility, which is increasingly important to consumers.”

“Partnering with Ecova has not only helped Shari’s reduce energy
expenses and increase profits, but the results have had a positive
impact on our brand. We are proud to be an environmentally responsible
business, which our customers really appreciate and remember,” said
Jodenne Scott, Director of Financial Support Services, Shari’s.

Ecova’s energy management solutions include Utility Expense & Data
Management, Energy Supply Management and Sustainability Management.
Ecova’s holistic approach has resulted in significant environmental and
financial savings for its clients:

  • Shari’s, the largest full-service restaurant chain based in the
    Pacific Northwest, has saved more than $ 700,000 in utility costs since
    enlisting Ecova’s energy audit services for its 100 locations.
    Different billing cycles and rate structures across locations made it
    difficult to approximate how and where to reduce consumption. Ecova
    was able to create measurable results which eliminated variable data
    in order to isolate and compare energy consumption. This data enabled
    Shari’s to decrease energy consumption, especially water use, and more
    accurately plan for future expenditures.
  • CKE Restaurants, Inc., which owns some of the most popular
    brands in the quick-service food industry, including Hardees and
    Carl’s Jr., wanted to reduce its large utility costs when it partnered
    with Ecova in 2004. With 3,200 locations nationally, it was difficult
    for the company to identify and efficiently manage energy consumption
    and cost. Ecova was able to detect the most efficient and highest
    consuming energy locations, and identify ways to get individual
    restaurants to improve their performance. This has resulted in utility
    savings of approximately $ 358,000 between January 2010 and June 2012.
  • California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) enlisted Ecova’s help in
    2009 after spending a significant amount on utility bills each year
    across its 250 locations. Ecova compiled an Energy
    Performance Report     that helped identify and prioritize areas for
    improvement by focusing on the chain’s locations with the highest
    energy consumption. The data allowed CPK management to work with
    employees to make behavioral changes that would impact energy use,
    analyze and make appropriate equipment upgrades. These changes
    resulted in reducing electricity usage by 4.3 percent in just one
    year, translating what was once a big unknown into big savings.

About Ecova

Ecova is the total energy and sustainability management company
whose sole purpose is to see more, save more, and sustain more for its
clients. Using insights based on consumption, cost and carbon footprint
data spanning thousands of utilities, hundreds of thousands of business
sites and millions of households, Ecova provides fully managed,
technology-optimized solutions for saving resources, which in turn
increase returns, lower risks, and enhance reputations. Ecova is the
largest non-regulated subsidiary of Avista Corp (NYSE: AVA and avistacorp.com).
For more information, visit the company’s website at ecova.com,
on LinkedIn at linkd.in/ecovainc,
or follow Ecova on Twitter at @ecovainc.

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South Sudan’s new laws offer a blueprint for a transparent oil sector

Posted by admin on November 30th, 2012

简体中文

Amid reports of endemic corruption, escalating security concerns, and delays restarting crude oil production, South Sudan’s new oil laws offer grounds to be optimistic about the prospects for development and stability, said Global Witness in a report released today.

The report, ‘Blueprint for Prosperity: How South Sudan’s new laws hold the key to a transparent and accountable oil sector,’ outlines the major opportunities and challenges the government faces in ensuring that management of the country’s oil wealth is responsible and open to public scrutiny.  

“South Sudan’s new oil legislation contains strong public reporting, revenue management, and contract allocation requirements,” said Global Witness campaigner Dana Wilkins. “But laws are only as good as their implementation. The real test will be in whether or not the government follows through with these commitments.”

In July 2011, South Sudan became both the newest and the most oil dependent country in the world. With the oil sector bringing in more than 98% of the government’s revenues, South Sudan halted all production following a dispute with Sudan over confiscated oil shipments. The two countries have now agreed a deal for the export of South Sudan’s oil via Sudan’s pipeline infrastructure and operations are expected to restart shortly.

Since independence, there have been concerning reports of new oil sector deals being negotiated and awarded apparently outside of transparent bidding processes. No oil production data has been published, and it is not yet clear if exploration and production sharing contracts will be made public.

Building a transparent and accountable oil sector in South Sudan will require serious political engagement from the government, major capacity building, and consistent implementation of the blueprint set out in the new legislation. The report released today seeks to support such efforts by providing an analysis of the new requirements and making recommendations to address major risks and challenges. Key recommendations include the following:

  • The government should pass the draft Petroleum Revenue Management Bill without delay and ensure that strong provisions for the collection, management, auditing, and public reporting remain intact. [1]
  • The Ministry of Petroleum and Mining and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning should immediately start implementing the requirements for transparent contract allocation, and for the publication of production data, contracts, and quarterly and annual oil revenue management reports.
  • The government and international donors must ensure that South Sudanese civil society groups, and oversight bodies like the Audit Chamber and parliament, have the resources, access, and technical expertise necessary to carry out effective checks on the oil sector.

“South Sudan’s new petroleum laws are a major achievement which, if implemented effectively, could ensure that South Sudanese citizens are able to see and trust in how their oil is being managed,” said Wilkins. “Accountable management of the oil sector will be critical for the long-term development and stability of the nation.”

/ Ends

Contact: For more information contact Dana Wilkins on +44 (0)7808 761 570, [email protected] and Faraz Hassan on +44 (0)20 7492 5848, [email protected].  

Notes:

[1] This bill has not yet passed the parliament but is expected in the next few months. The draft Petroleum Revenue Management Bill can be accessed here.

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Defra: Recycling sector growth takes family business from Rags to Riches

Posted by admin on November 30th, 2012

A Canning Town family business has gone from employing just three people to turning over £4 million a year, on the back of threefold growth in the UK recycling industry, Recycling Minister Lord de Mauley will hear on his visit to the company today.

Since its small scale beginnings 25 years ago, used clothing has become increasingly valuable, and the recycling sector has tripled its turnover to more than £10 billion a year.

Lawrence M Barry (LMB) Clothes Recycling Centre has grown to employ over 170 staff and work with partners across the globe. Each week, it collects and sorts up to 200 tonnes of clothing which is exported for re-use in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

Britain’s exports of recovered materials are worth more than £4 billion a year to the nation’s economy.  Since 1998, around 8,000 jobs have been created in the UK recycling sector, which now employs more than 30,000 people.

Lord de Mauley said:

“In the 25 years since LMB started trading, waste has become an increasingly valuable commodity and the business has gone from strength to strength.  It’s more proof that  sustainability does not just make environmental sense, it also makes excellent business sense.

“Used clothing has a massive commercial value, yet over 350,000 tonnes goes to landfill in the UK every year. There’s scope for all of us to think more wisely about the things we throw away.  Re-use and recycling are not only good for the environment, but drive an industry that is creating jobs and helping to grow the nation’s economy.”

During his visit to the company today, Lord de Mauley will help staff sort used clothing, before it is sent abroad.

Notes

The recycling sector has grown strongly – there has been a threefold increase in sales turnover since 1998 and over this period the sector’s growth has outstripped growth in the overall economy.  In addition, net exports of recovered materials are worth more than £4 billion a year to the UK economy.

LMB were the first recycling/waste company to win the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement in 1997.

WRAP’s report ‘Valuing Our Clothes’, published in July 2012, looks at the true cost of how we design, use and dispose of clothing in the UK. The report can be found at: www.wrap.uk/clothing

The ‘Valuing Our Clothes’ report shows that by making more use of our clothes through re-use and other routes such as design changes, alteration,  repair and recycling, there is a real opportunity for businesses and consumers to realise both financial and environmental gains.

WRAP’s research found that in the last year alone we left a staggering 1.7 billion items unused in our wardrobes. It also found that there is considerable interest from consumers in re-using those unwanted items, with over two thirds of consumers willing to buy and wear pre-owned clothing such as jumpers and jeans.

WRAP also found that by increasing the active use of clothing by an extra nine months we could save £5 billion from the costs of resources used in clothing supply, laundry and disposal.

 

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Recycling sector growth takes family business from Rags to Riches

Posted by admin on November 30th, 2012

A Canning Town family business has gone from employing just three people to turning over £4 million a year, on the back of threefold growth in the UK recycling industry, Recycling Minister Lord de Mauley will hear on his visit to the company today.

Since its small scale beginnings 25 years ago, used clothing has become increasingly valuable, and the recycling sector has tripled its turnover to more than £10 billion a year.

Lawrence M Barry (LMB) Clothes Recycling Centre has grown to employ over 170 staff and work with partners across the globe. Each week, it collects and sorts up to 200 tonnes of clothing which is exported for re-use in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

Britain’s exports of recovered materials are worth more than £4 billion a year to the nation’s economy.  Since 1998, around 8,000 jobs have been created in the UK recycling sector, which now employs more than 30,000 people.

Lord de Mauley said:

“In the 25 years since LMB started trading, waste has become an increasingly valuable commodity and the business has gone from strength to strength.  It’s more proof that  sustainability does not just make environmental sense, it also makes excellent business sense.

“Used clothing has a massive commercial value, yet over 350,000 tonnes goes to landfill in the UK every year. There’s scope for all of us to think more wisely about the things we throw away.  Re-use and recycling are not only good for the environment, but drive an industry that is creating jobs and helping to grow the nation’s economy.”

During his visit to the company today, Lord de Mauley will help staff sort used clothing, before it is sent abroad.

Notes

The recycling sector has grown strongly – there has been a threefold increase in sales turnover since 1998 and over this period the sector’s growth has outstripped growth in the overall economy.  In addition, net exports of recovered materials are worth more than £4 billion a year to the UK economy.

LMB were the first recycling/waste company to win the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement in 1997.

WRAP’s report ‘Valuing Our Clothes’, published in July 2012, looks at the true cost of how we design, use and dispose of clothing in the UK. The report can be found at: www.wrap.uk/clothing

The ‘Valuing Our Clothes’ report shows that by making more use of our clothes through re-use and other routes such as design changes, alteration,  repair and recycling, there is a real opportunity for businesses and consumers to realise both financial and environmental gains.

WRAP’s research found that in the last year alone we left a staggering 1.7 billion items unused in our wardrobes. It also found that there is considerable interest from consumers in re-using those unwanted items, with over two thirds of consumers willing to buy and wear pre-owned clothing such as jumpers and jeans.

WRAP also found that by increasing the active use of clothing by an extra nine months we could save £5 billion from the costs of resources used in clothing supply, laundry and disposal.

 

Defra News

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Waste sector plan: Construction and demolition

Posted by admin on November 23rd, 2012

[unable to retrieve full-text content]This plan details outcomes, policies and actions on waste for organisations, companies and individuals in construction and demolition (C & D) in Wales.
Environment and countryside

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Most fundamental overhaul of Local Government sector in over 100 years – Hogan

Posted by admin on October 16th, 2012

Most fundamental overhaul of Local Government sector in over 100 years – Hogan

16/10/12

New systems will make Local Government accountable
Councillors will be reduced by 42%
Councils reduced from 114 to 31
Overall Savings of €420 million

A comprehensive Action Programme to bring about the most fundamental improvements to the local government system in over one hundred years was launched today (16.10.2012) by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Eamon Gilmore TD, and Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan TD.   Entitled “Putting People First”, the Programme is part of the Government’s overall reform of the political system.

 
Speaking at the launch, the Taoiseach said: “This Government was elected with a strong mandate to deliver on radical reform for our economy, public services and our politics. If we are to drive the necessary reform across the public service then that process must begin with the political system itself. In order to bring Local Government into the 21st Century we are introducing one of the most radical, ambitious and far-reaching governance reform plans ever put forward by an Irish Government. The reduction in the number of councillors, the merger of certain county councils and the replacement of town councils with Municipal Districts is a necessary reform designed to increase the efficiency of local Government and will ensure that taxpayers money is translated into the services people expect and deserve in their local areas Putting People First  represents the new vision required to strengthen and empower local government and Minister Hogan will oversee the implementation of many of its reforms in time for the 2014 local elections.”

The Tanaiste said: “Reforming local Government is about solving problems and providing services that have a direct and immediate impact on all our lives. We need local Government to be more democratic and more responsive and we need that reform to happen while at the same time keeping what works in the existing system and at a time of reducing budgets. Today, we are embarking on a path to far-reaching reform that will result in a system that is fairer, better and fit for purpose in a modern democracy.”

Speaking earlier, Minister Hogan said: “Putting People First sets to reform the system of local government from structures that are largely unchanged since 1898; to modernise the approaches to ensure more is delivered to the citizen and to build confidence in the Local Government Sector by making it more accountable to the people it serves.  This document represents fundamental re-imagining of the system and it sees local government leading economic, social and community development, as well as delivering efficient services that are good value. The overall programme will save the taxpayer over €420 million.”
At the launch, the Minister presented the reforms contained in the Action Programme under four main themes:

1. Structures
2. Funding, Accountability and Governance
3. Economic Development and Job Creation
4. Delivering Services Efficiently

Structures:
“The most fundamental reorganisation of local government structures in over a 100 years will be undertaken over the next two years, the structural reforms alone will deliver €45 million in savings.  Under a totally new model of governance within counties, all 80 existing town authorities will be replaced by a comprehensive system of municipal governance integrating town and county governance.”
Structures will be streamlined:
• There will be a reduction in the number of local authorities from 114 to 31 City and County Councils with integrated areas called ‘Municipal Districts’.
• Council seats will be reduced from 1,627 to no more than 950.   The members elected at local level will also represent the district at county level.
•  At regional level, 3 new assemblies will replace the current 10 regional authorities and assemblies.
• There will be a rebalancing of representation nationally and more equality of representation between local electoral areas within counties.
 
Funding, Accountability and Governance:
“Local Government does not enjoy universal confidence. Putting People First will address the weaknesses in the system and introduce new measures that will re-build public confidence and trust.”
Key measures include:
• Services administered by local authorities will be funded through the new local property tax, a move designed to strengthen local responsibility for decision-making by authorities.  
• There will be a new Independent   National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) to scrutinise local government performance and efficiency. 
• Local authority Audit Committees will be put on a full regulatory footing and the Committee’s review of the Audit Report will be included in its report to the Council.
• While the powers of councillors will be strengthened, their powers to direct Managers in respect of planning and certain other matters will be curtailed.
• The position of local authority manager will be replaced by a Chief Executive Post. This is designed to reinforce the principle that the chief executive of a council should be accountable to the elected members in the discharge of all his/her functions, in the same way as a chief executive of a company reports to a board of directors.
• The two representative bodies of local Councillors will be merged after 2014.
• The structures and levels of all payments to councillors will be reviewed.
• The overall maximum expenditure in respect of attendance by councillors at conferences will be significantly reduced.   To help improve the relevance of such conferences, attendance will be limited to conferences organised by the proposed new amalgamated councillor representative body, by a regional assembly, or by professional bodies (such as planning bodies) operating in the local government sector.  
• The role and functions of the elected council are to be widened.  One of the fundamental aims of this reform programme is to reaffirm the primacy of the elected members in the local government system and to examine the default provision which grants the executive power to act unless powers are specifically assigned to members. The local government sector will be covered by a single, comprehensive ethics framework to apply across the public service.
• To complement the steps taken by political parties to promote and assist women candidates, local authorities will make appropriate arrangements, including the timing of meetings, to ensure that the way they conduct their business encourages the greater participation of women in politics.

Economic Development and Job Creation:
“Putting People First empowers Local Government in an entirely new way, particularly in relation to economic development, and most importantly, sustaining and creating jobs. “

There will be an enhanced local authority role in relation to economic development and enterprise support:  
• There will be new dedicated Strategic Policy Committee for Economic Development in each local authority.
• A new dedicated Director of Services for Economic and Community Development will be created  in those local authorities with hubs and gateways.
• Economic development plans will form part of the City or County Development Plan.  
• One-stop-shops for business support will be provided through new Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs)
• Greater effectiveness will also be achieved through a closer alignment of local and community development supports with the local government system.
• Local authorities will build on the 2,000 job initiatives already in train.

Efficiency:
“Local Government has been ahead of most sectors in the changes it has made to reduce costs and drive efficiency, with €830 million savings made since 2008.  This will continue to be pursued vigorously to achieve the highest standards of customer service and I have set a further target of €150 million over the next 18 months. The reform programme will yield significant savings on full implementation of up to €420 million.”

• The Programme will see new measures to monitor the performance of local authorities, with emphasis on targets, customer service and value-for-money.  
• Service plans will be approved by elected members in each authority.
• New robust systems of performance monitoring, including scrutiny by the National Oversight Audit Commission will focus on key indicators, value for money, comparative performance of local authorities, and outcomes rather than outputs.
• A publicly accessible website, fixyourstreet.ie, will be rolled out to every local authority area to enable citizens to report road, lighting, environmental and other issues requiring local authority response and secure a response within two working days.
• To improve the relationship between the authority and the Community they serve, each County and City Council will be required to have a dedicated, suitably trained Customer Services Officer.

“Many Ministers before me have launched policy documents, white papers or programmes for local government reform. Some of these led to important changes in particular aspects of the local government system. But others had little impact. I will play my part by ensuring that this programme is backed by action which will help shape a much more positive and productive future for local government in Ireland.”
“Putting People First represents the most fundamental set of reforms in local government in the history of the State.   I am committed to building a stronger and more cohesive system of local government to serve the community at local level, and to make a stronger contribution to meeting national challenges.”

Putting People First

Putting People First Guide

Ends.

 

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