Malanje - The Minister of Territorial Administration (MAT), Dionísio Manuel da Fonseca, defended, on Saturday in Malanje, the need for the correct management of the resources allocated to municipal administrations to meet the needs of the citizens.
Speaking at the 1st edition of the Best Municipality of Angola Award, the minister welcomed the African Decentralization Day and Local Development.
He recognized the challenges that municipal administrators, as front-line local leaders, face in leaving their respective localities better than they found them, and challenged them to be resilient along the path towards Angola's development.
“We must face the future with optimism and do everything to generate positive changes in communities”, the minister said, underlining that only in this way will the principle of participatory and inclusive governance be accomplished.
Regarding the Best Municipality of Angola Award, Dionísio Manuel da Fonseca said that the aim is to distinguish the districts that stood out most in implementing actions and initiatives aimed at solving the communities' most pressing headache.
Lubango city was the big winner of the Prize, accumulating the highest score in all 12 categories, namely Protection and Conservation of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Security and Public Order, Commitment to Children and their Protection/Child-Friendly Municipality, among others.
Established under Presidential Decree n•166/23, of August 4th, the Award for Best Municipality in Angola aims to stimulate continuous improvement in the public management of municipalities, through the promotion and valorization of initiatives that guarantee quality, efficiency and effectiveness of local government action.
For this edition, 66 municipalities competed, representing 8 provinces of the country.
ACC/PBC/CF/AMP
