TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (Mehr News Agency) – Tehran mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf said on Monday that the country's major problems originate from weak management and blamed "administrative-political structure" as one of the reasons behind underdevelopment in the country.

The mayor also urged state institutions to avoid undermining the authority of local councils.

The former national police chief said he has always tried to take a scientific approach in management affairs.

"Today, we don't have shortage of workforce and economic resources but we have problems in the country, and this shows that we have weaknesses in different ranks of management," the mayor told a seminar entitled A New Look at Local Governments in Iran held in Tarbiyat Modares University.

He said when the oil was sold for 11 dollars per barrel there was inflation in the country and now that oil price is near 100 dollars the same problem still exists. "Still we don't know whether expensive oil benefits us or harms us."

The mayor said oil is a brake for the country's development. "Now, I see oil as a hurdle and not as an opportunity for the country's development. Twenty years ago the per capita income in Malaysia was 800 dollars and today it has reached to about 8,000 dollars, and this increase in revenue is not because of oil."

He insisted on the need to delegate affairs to "local governments" and said, "Only the national affairs should be managed by the central government."

For example, he said, it is regrettable that building a bridge in a city requires the approval of the cabinet.

"Decentralization is the real need of the country," Qalibaf noted.

He said decentralization is meaningful when it is accompanied by delegating the management affairs.

The mayor lamented the diminishing power of the councils in the country, saying the issue of "local governments" is stated very clearly in the constitution but the parliament has transformed the rules governing local council.

"Currently, the governors have veto power toward councils" which is against the spirit of the constitution.
 

... Payvand News - 12/31/07 ...