Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s National Director of Local Administration, Cândida Moiane, believes that the ongoing revision of the laws on decentralization will reduce the powers and responsibilities of the provincial Secretaries of State.
There has always been a tension between the provincial Secretary of State, appointed by the President of the Republic, and the elected provincial governor. Opposition parties have called for the outright abolition of the post of Secretary of State – but that would require substantial amendments to the Constitution,
According to Moiane, revision of the powers of the Secretary of State cannot, at any time, exceed the limits imposed by the Constitution, “because any changes must respect the constitutional principles governing the organization of local government and the balance between the different levels of government.”
“The powers of the State Secretary and his responsibilities in the provinces could be significantly reduced as part of the review of the legislative package on decentralization. But the changes won’t be carried out outside the limits imposed by the Constitution”, she said.
Moiane, cited by the independent daily “O País”, speaking in Maputo at the National Coordination Council on Decentralization (CNC), said that revision of the decentralization package is already under way and the main challenge has to do with redefining the responsibilities of the Provincial Secretary of State.
“Far reaching changes are on the table”, she claimed. “Another sensitive point under analysis is the financial framework of the Provincial Executive Council (i.e. the provincial government). This revision could redefine the budgetary management powers and financial autonomy of the provinces”.
The CNC, which was set up in 2020, is aimed at ensuring coordination between the different levels of government and is supposed to promote the effective implementation of decentralization in Mozambique.
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