Strengthening Japan’s “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” Initiative
Dr. Abdel Nasser Makky
Background
1. Japan’s Project of the “Improvement of Local Governance System in Palestine”
As a result of the intifada that broke out in 2000, the economic and the financial conditions in Palestine deteriorated significantly. Without independent revenue sources , this development caused considerable loss in financial and administrative autonomy for more than 60% of the basic PA municipalities, the smallest units of administration such as cities and villages.
Against such background, in September 2004, the PA appealed to Japan for technical cooperation in the area of Local governance. In June 2005, JICA concluded a written agreement (R/D) with the PA Ministry of Local Government (MOLG) to dispatch a team to discuss possible work in the area of local finance and regional administration, as well as practical capacity building activities for local government personnel. This project was subsequently commenced in September 2005, with the MOLG as the counterpart organization. The project purpose was to establish the foundation for implementing policies in the area of local finance and Joints councils by improving the municipal services and revenue generation.
An Interim Local Development Strategy (I-LDS) is a mid-term plan formulated for “Clusters” of local government units (LUGs) in Jericho and Jordan River Rift Valley (JJRRV) with the target year of 2010. Seventeen local councils were grouped into four Clusters for this planning purpose in view of the Governorate boundaries and geographical proximity, as shown below. The four Clusters are: ......Full Report 