Local government reform 2009 : complementing Malta Government's vision 2015

Abstract

Fifteen years from the introduction of Local Councils in Malta, central government launched a reform process to restructure the legal framework of local government and to introduce the concepts of good governance. The Local Government Reform process was based on three main pillars; subsidiarity, solidarity and sustainability. After an extensive consultation process, the government was able to produce a concrete set of proposals which would ensure an efficient and effective local government service for all citizens. The Maltese Government adopted a bottom-up approach to achieving national objectives by creating a national identity at community level. The scope of this report is to investigate the relationship, if any, between Local Government Reform 2009 and Malta Government's Vision 2015. This study was carried out by conducting a documentation review of journals, reviews, samples of publications and reports relevant to the subject. A case-study approach was also adopted to include a short perspective of local administration in the United Kingdom and Italy. The findings show that the reform process is at par with the national vision. The nature of the relationship is complementary and to a certain extent inter-dependent. The main recommendations for this report are for local governments to invest in research, innovation and training in order to empower the citizen and comply with future national strategies. Central government should also exercise further decentralisation and devolution of powers to local administrators as they are the closest link to the community.