Speaking with the media at his ministry on Monday, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government V. Alfred Gray revealed two significant proposed changes to the Local Government Act ahead of the next local government elections scheduled for later this year.
"I'm placing before Cabinet on Tuesday a compendium of amendments to the Local Government Act, not the least among which is the amendment to provide for a director of local government and a deputy director of local government," said Gray. This move was necessary, said the minister, because there was no leadership in the Department of Local Government. The affairs of that department are currently handled by the permanent secretary or a staff member directed by the minister; Gray seeks to codify this anomaly through the proposed amendment to the act.
Another proposed change to the act is the level of authority to be granted to local family island district councils in the issuance of business licenses.
"Prior to now, business licenses had all been removed from the local government council's authority (by the former administration). I considered that a mistake then and I consider it a mistake now," he said.
To correct this error, Gray said that he "intends to ask Cabinet to approve an amendment which will allow for occasional licenses, or provisional licenses, or one-day licenses to be put back in the hands of the local government councils".
Gray explained that under the present structure of the act, people hosting cookouts for the sick, hosting a regatta, or a church hosting a fair in the Family Islands and in need of a one-day license are required to travel the capital to secure such a license from the central government at considerable expense and inconvenience.
"That, to me, is burdensome to those poor people," said the minister, therefore the proposed amendment is designed to ease the financial burden associated with those types of Family Island economic activities.
Gray also mentioned that there are several other "minor" amendments proposed to the act, but he felt that the two major amendments he revealed "will create a new paradigm for the local government administration in the family islands".
As for a timeline, Gray said he expects the Cabinet to put its stamp of approval on the proposed amendments "either this week or next week". Local government elections in the Family Islands are scheduled for June 23.

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