Policy forum tackles fiscal decentralization after 20 years of local government autonomy

Friday, January 13, 2012

Policy forum tackles fiscal decentralization after 20 years of local government autonomy

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Jan 13 (PIA) –- The PCED Institute of Public Economics and Regulation (PIPER), in partnership with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit), is set to conduct the First PIPER Policy Forum with the theme "Fiscal Decentralization after 20 Years: What have we got to show? What have we learned? Where do we go from here?"

The one-day forum which will be held on January 16 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria, will feature a review of the successes and pitfalls of decentralization in the last 20 years since the passage of the Local Government Code of 1991.

The target forum participants and discussants will include policymakers, national and local government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, the academe, non-government organizations, and media.

Dr. Andreas Lange of GIZ said that the Forum will have a presentation of evidence-based, analytical assessments of key issues by top scholars.

An equally distinguished panel of experts and practitioners will then react to the presentation.

Thus guided, the forum participants are expected to have more focused informed debates and reach wider, firmer consensus on the needed reforms, Dr. Lange said.

There will also be a roundtable discussion of specific issues or topics over lunch.

Sec. Cayetano W. Paderanga, Jr., Director General of NEDA and Chair of PCED Board of Trustees, and Dr. Herwig Mayer, Program Manager, Decentralization Program of GIZ will deliver the opening remarks.

Dr. Benjamin E. Diokno, Professor, UP School of Economics and Former Secretary, DBM, will be the first speaker on the topic "A 20-Year Retrospective."

The reactors are USec Austere Panadero of DILG, USec Jude Esguerra of NAPC, and Dr. Milwida Guevra, CEO of Synergeia Foundation.

In the second session, Dr. Gilbert Llanto, Senior Research Fellow, PIDS and Former Deputy Director General of NEDA, will discuss Assignment of Functions and Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations.

The reactors are Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, Dr. Roberto de Vera, Professor, School of Economics, UA&P, and Dr. Juan Antonio Perez, OIC, Director IV, Bureau of Local Health Development, DOH. The session moderator is Dr. Agustin L. Arcenas, Assistant Professor, UP School of Economics.

The Roundtable Discussion: Conversation on the Role of Local Governments in an Uncertain World will be hosted by Dr. Andreas Lange, Chief Advisor Local Governance, GIZ.

The conversationalists are Albay Governor Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda¸ USec. Mario Relampagos of DBM and Atty. Roque Tiu, Board Member, First District of Leyte.

The third session will tackle Governance and Accountability which will be discussed by Dr. Paul Hutchcroft, Professor, Australian National University.

The reactors are Ms. Malou Mangahas (Reporter, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism), Dr. Alex Brillantes (Professor, National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines).

The last topic is International Perspective with Dr. Jan Werner (Professor, BITS Iserlohn, University of Applied Sciences, Germany) as the speaker.

The reactors include Dir. Janet B. Abuel, Director IV, DBM – Regional Office I, Dr. Eduardo Gonzalez (Professor, UP Asian Center), and Dr. Gaudencio Sosmeña (Founding Executive Director and Chairman, Board of Trustees, LOGODEF). (PIA 8)

Cabatuan.com - Kasimanwa.com - Austere Panadero