Naryn oblast municipalities obtain an access to new opportunities

An official presentation of the Swiss Government funded Project «Citizen’s voice and Accountability of Local Self-Governments: budget process» (VAP) took place in Naryn on March 10 2017 during meeting of LSGs of Naryn oblast.

The meeting was organized jointly by the State Agency for Local Government Affairs and interethnic relations under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (SALSGIR) and DPI – VAP implementer. There were about 120 participants including heads of municipalities and Chair-persons (Toraga) of Local Councils (Kenesh) of Naryn Oblast.

Participants were welcomed by Amanbai Kaipov, the Plenipotentiary Representative of Kyrgyz Government,  Jumagul Egamberdieva, the Head of SALSGIR and Lucien Aegerter, the Program Manager of Switzerland Embassy in KR.

Mr. Aegerter mentioned that Decentralization of decision-making processes and direct participation of citizens are very relevant topics for us, as Swiss citizens. In Switzerland, we have benefitted from decentralized, citizen-oriented and participatory budgeting processes for many decades. This is why Switzerland has been providing a long-term support to the Kyrgyz Government in improving local self-governance and service delivery at the municipal level.

Considerable results of the VAP project in promoting accountability of municipalities and citizens’ participation in the budgetary processes have been achieved in Issyk-Kul and Jalal-Abad oblasts. Since April 2015, VAP has started working in the Chuy Oblast, and from March 2017 it will start in the Osh and Naryn Oblasts.  Mr. Aegerter encouraged all the participants to apply for participation in the project to improve your work with and for local residents. Mr Kaipov and Mz. Egamberdieva also advised heads of municipalities to cooperate with the VAP.

Agenda of the meeting covered a number of topics, including presentations by the staff members of the SALSGIR about basics of LSG operation, DPI staff presented the information about goals and tasks, activities and impact of the VAP in period from 2011 to 2017 in Jalal-Abad, Issyk-Kul and Chui regions of Kyrgyz Republic.  Head of Yurievskii AO from Chui oblast described his experience of cooperation with the VAP and marked good changes in the level of trust between LSG and local community.

After presentations participants from municipalities asked various questions about LSG operation, clarification for some legal aspects of municipal service, and about cooperation with VAP.