USAID's Local Governance Program in Albania (LGPA) works with ten municipalities throughout Albania to foster local economic growth, improve local governance, and strengthen civic and private sector engagement in local development. LGPA's partner municipalities are Elbasan, Fier, Fushė-Krujė, Gramsh, Korēa, Kukės, Lezha, Librazhd, Pogradec, and Shkodra
Local Economic Growth
LGPA encourages and facilitates local economic growth in target municipalities in order to increase investment, create jobs, raise incomes, and ultimately, to expand the local tax base. A bi-partisan and broadly representative Local Economic Growth Committee was established in each target municipality, including representatives of the public, private and civil society sectors. The Local Economic Growth Committees developed a strategic vision of the future economic development of the municipality and prioritized immediate actions within the context of a short-term local economic development plan. The Committee identified immediate public service improvement opportunities that will help attract investment. LGPA works with the Local Economic Growth Committees to promote the municipality and to identify and attract potential investors.
Local Governance
LGPA provides technical assistance and on-the-job training to staff in the ten target municipalities on a variety of issues including tax collection, asset management, budgeting, borrowing, and service provision. This component both capitalizes on and enhances efforts undertaken in the Local Economic Growth component. Through better asset management practices, the municipality can identify assets that can be leased or disposed of to private investors for improvement. Improved tax collection will allow the municipality to capture increased taxes from greater economic growth. Increased revenues from better asset management and tax collection will allow target municipalities to improve the quality and efficiency of services provided to citizens and businesses.
Civic and Private Sector Engagement
Target municipalities are strengthening the involvement of local civil society groups, special interest groups, and business in the local government process. This is accomplished by including the civic and private sectors in Local Economic Growth Committees, establishing participatory budgeting mechanisms, and creating local government outreach tools such as newsletters and websites. Transparency of target municipalities is increased through open council meetings, open processes for purchasing, leasing and disposing of municipal assets, and an open budget process.
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