Publication: FYR Macedonia : Decentralization Status Report
Loading...
Published
2003-09-22
ISSN
Date
2013-07-29
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
To institutionalize the decentralization elements of the peace settlement in Macedonia, the Framework Agreement calls for specific changes in the Constitution, and three specific items of legislation: a new law on local governments specifying the functions they are to assume, a local finance law specifying how these functions are to be financed, and, a law revising the boundaries of local governments, on the basis of a new census. While the Constitutional amendments have been approved, progress on the rest of the legislative agenda has proceeded slowly. The census on which the territorial reform was to be based has only recently been completed. The local government law has been approved, but requires extensive subsidiary legislation before it can be implemented. The new finance law is only now in the drafting process. The next local elections are scheduled for 2004, thus a considerable amount of work will be required to ensure that the impact of decentralization will be perceptible to the electorate by that time. This paper is directed at two audiences: the first is the Government, which is now in the process of drafting detailed legislation on territorial reform, local finance, and the decentralization of specific sectors. For this audience, the report lays out some of the issues that will need to be addressed in the course of implementing the decentralization provisions of the Framework Agreement; the second is the World Bank, the European Union (EU) special representative, the U.S. Ambassador, and other members of the donor community. For this audience, the report is intended to describe the present status of the decentralization process, and suggest a strategy for assisting the Government in this sequence of reforms. It reviews the existing legal structure, the expenditure assignment, particularly on education, social protection, and health care, and that of public utilities, as well as the revenue assignment through its municipal taxation, and overall fiscal performance. The report then examines the decentralization framework agreement, and the new legislation being, or to be adopted regarding the local self government law, in particular on social sectors, and proposed changes on municipal competencies. Within the action plan, the Government's current operational program for decentralization of power 2003-04 is presented, outlining the territorial reform which specifies that new municipal boundaries will be defined on the basis of a new census. Regarding finance, under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) report's strategy, municipalities would later assume responsibility for some assets, and related maintenance costs during the subsequent phase of decentralization.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2003. FYR Macedonia : Decentralization Status Report. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14642 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication India : Fiscal Decentralization to Rural Governments(Washington, DC, 2004-01-07)The objective of this study is to review panchayat finances, identify issues and make recommendations to improve the fiscal decentralization system. Using Kamataka and Kerala as case studies, this report describes the context for rural decentralization in India, summarizes the current fiscal situation of district, block and village panchayats, identifies the main problems arising from the current practice, and outlines a set of reform options that might better satisfy the objectives of the central and state governments. Kamataka and Kerala were examined because these two states are generally thought to be more advanced than others in implementing rural fiscal decentralization and are therefore relevant for drawing lessons for the rest of India. There is a hierarchical arrangement of center-state-local governance. The 73rd Amendment to the Constitution made India one of the most politically decentralized countries in the developing world. By the Constitution and in practice, local government has an urban and a rural stream. Rural local governments are divided into three levels: district (zilla), block (taluk), and village (gram) panchayats. The design and implementation of the decentralization program are a state government responsibility. However implementation of key aspects of the program is lagging. Districts and blocks have no taxing powers and little expenditure autonomy. Both in Karnataka and Kerala, they more or less function as spending agents of higher-level governments. Gram panchayats are closest to the people, have some independent taxing power, and some discretion in expenditure decisions. Hence they are the primary subjects of this study.Publication Fiscal Federalism in Switzerland : Relevant Issues for Transition Economies in Central and Eastern Europe(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-07)Its highly fragmented structure of local governments and serious horizontal fiscal imbalances make Switzerland a surprisingly powerful model for Eastern European countries that are currently facing the challenge of fiscal decentralization. In spite of the substantial differences in the tradition and current practice of intergovernmental fiscal relations, transition economies may learn valuable lessons from the Swiss case in the fields of direct democracy, horizontal cooperation, expenditure and revenue assignment, and fiscal discipline. Among other conclusions, the authors suggest that subnational authorities can effectively fend off recentralization attempts of the central government if they engage in spontaneous cooperation to enhance the efficiency of public service provision. Together with an adequate fiscal equalization scheme, interjurisdictional cooperation also permits the reconciliation of the objective of an increasing devolution of powers with the existing regional disparities. The authors also show that the principle of subsidiarity can best be safeguarded by anchoring the expenditure and revenue powers of subnational governments in the constitution or in a similarly strong law. With regard to fiscal discipline, the combination of a "golden rule" with direct democratic instruments of budget control is proven to be successful in enhancing the accountability of local politicians toward their constituencies.Publication Croatia : Fiscal (De)centralization and Public Service Delivery(Washington, DC, 2012-01)This report discusses the contours of a possible strategic direction, the necessary basic institutional set up for implementation, and key reform policy options to be tackled in order to complete the foundations of the decentralization reform initiated in 2001. Croatia is still a highly centralized country in terms of decision making on public service financing and delivery, as compared to most of the new European Union members. One indicator is that the sub-national Government's budget still corresponds to five percent of GDP, while in the newly accessed countries it was about eight percent on average in their immediate pre-accession phase. The Government of Croatia is conscious about the critical importance of improving citizens' voice, transparency and accountability on public affairs, especially on matters of local interest, in order to increase efficiency on public service delivery and rapidly converge to European Union standards on a sustainable basis. The Government started its decentralization reforms in July 2001, although they have not yet adequately implemented them to make the reform process sustainable.Publication Romania : Local Social Services Delivery Study, Volume 1. Summary Report(Washington, DC, 2002-01-16)The study seeks to identify institutional, and procedural factors which may facilitate, or hamper the effectiveness of social services, and inter-governmental fiscal arrangements. Based on existing research on decentralization, the success of decentralized service delivery depends on factors, that include the quality of intergovernmental institutions, a stable fiscal framework, and a well established civil society, and social structure. The study focuses on public social services, where local governments play the greatest role, and, throughout the report, the greatest emphasis is on social assistance benefits, and services, addressing those cash benefits which are delivered, and financed by local governments, including national programs such as birth grants, emergency assistance, and the main poverty alleviation program. In education, the study focuses on compulsory, and secondary education, though it does not address specialized secondary education, which is under the purview of central ministries. The study comprises two volumes: volume 1 provides an overview of the issues, summarizes major findings, and presents policy options; volume 2 includes the detailed discussion, and analysis, and presents the empirical underpinnings of the report. The study finds that fiscal decentralization of poverty alleviation benefits, has undermined its effectiveness, and eroded social safety nets; thus the government is preparing the Minimum Income Guarantee Program Law to centralize financing of social assistance cash benefits. And, education seems to be the policy area with greatest potential for further decentralization, suggesting a careful capacity evaluation to decide whether to attain complete autonomy.Publication Peru : The Decentralization Process and its Links with Public Expenditure Efficiency(Washington, DC, 2010-06-07)Decentralization in Peru is an ongoing process that is in its infancy and faces key challenges. This study aims to take stock of the process and identify these challenges. The main goal of the report is to help think through these issues with a view of identifying priorities and opportunities for fruitful engagement in this area. Much of the stock-taking serves as an introduction to the topic for the general reader and draws on what has become by now extensive secondary literature. The report distils the key challenges of the decentralization process and adds value in three specific areas. A first distinct contribution of this report is to highlight the importance of political economy factors in explaining the ebbs and flows of the decentralization process. Second, the report provides new data on truly decentralized spending as opposed to deconcentrated as well as on public spending per capita across districts. Third, this report provides a novel analysis of the efficiency of public spending across departments in Peru. The report compiles measures of public sector performance and efficiency for education, health, and transport across all departments. The overall institutional framework provides enough reasons for reconsideration an area where the Bank could add value. To be clear, this report does not call for new rushed legislative initiatives to address the perceived shortcomings in the institutional set up. What is called for is the creation of spaces for inter-institutional and inclusive dialogue to help establish a consensus on some basic principles. Only then will changes to the current institutional framework be appropriate. The mechanism to share natural resource revenues among levels of government has contributed to obfuscate the decentralization process.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Digital Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-03-13)All African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. "Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs" shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing, digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, it can support not only countries’ short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa’s uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of Africa’s population, but only 22 percent uses such services. And the average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: affordability of these new technologies and willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes—in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small- and medium-size businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services—and in the supply of attractive, skills-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings—dampen people’s willingness to use them. For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty throughout Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa’s countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers’ ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce—one projected to become the world’s largest by the end of this century.Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.