Chief Minister Maryam Directs MPAs to Monitor Uplift Projects
Party MPA’s have been directed by Chief Minister Maryam to monitor uplift projects. This is a big movement towards public accountability and transparency in public projects. Its motivation is to close the gap between what the government envisages and what is actually achieved. One hopes to use taxpayer money effectively. Those who need it should get the development.
However, this is a sign of a common worry. Are these projects helping people at all? Local MPAs will oversee them. They hope to catch problems early. They will then be able to take corrective actions in order to keep projects on track.
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There are so many problems faced by government funded uplift projects in Pakistan. One is mismanagement and the other slow progress. Sometimes the project dies. Her call is not only to watch them. It’s about rebuilding trust. Local knowledge and accountability are brought by MPAs. They know their districts’ special circumstances. It doesn’t have to be that way. They can come to play a hand in that, giving real time solutions and fewer bottlenecks. The desire is for more efficient completion of projects.
Better outcomes, experts say, can be found with such oversight. The Urban Policy Unit finds that local level monitoring results in quicker completions. Further, it reduces deviations from the original plans. They know what their people need and they have been duly elected to do so. It can make a big difference with them involved. It injects something of the human into the system. It is more responsible when people know their representatives are watching.
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There are problems with this approach, however. Many already have responsibilities, however. That new monitoring role could push them outside their capacity limits. They are going to need a support system. Help will come with more staff, better communication to project managers, and training in oversight. Success hinges on having the authority and the tools for MPAs to do their job. The thing is that it’s one thing to ask them to do something. One thing is to empower them to do, the other thing is to enable them to do it well.
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For citizens, this is good news. Communities will benefit if MPAs monitor uplift projects properly. Some of the better infrastructure, timely services and so on. It would be more transparent use of public funds. And for the time being, it’s important that citizens remain informed and involved. Contact county representatives. Attend community meetings. Keep informed of project progress. They will create transparency in the issue and will foster accountability. We can collectively support these projects grow to their potential.
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References:
- The Nation. CM Maryam Directs Party MPAs to Monitor Uplift Projects. The Nation, October 26, 2024.
- Urban Policy Unit. Impact of Local-Level Monitoring on Project Efficiency. Urban Policy Unit, 2023.
