Decentralization is a global phenomenon. It is one of the major ingredients of governance reforms as well as means of service delivery. Decentralization in modern state affairs is both necessity as well as compulsion. Accordingly, most of the countries in the world have adopted decentralization, but its level may varied and need-based.
Fiscal year decentralization is the heart of decentralization in both unitary and federal systems of governance. It is the intergovernmental fiscal relations between different tiers of government. For effective fiscal decentralization, its four pillars (expenditure assignment, revenue assignment, intergovernmental fiscal transfer and the local borrowing) must be linked and should be designed to complement and supplement one another.
This book has incorporated the theories of fiscal decentralization with its all four pillars and practices on decentralization in Nepal with special reference to municipalities. The book emphasizes that capacity if local bodies is critical to carry out assigned services to the people. According to the book, there is mismatch between expenditure assignment and finding arrangements in Nepal. The book also pinpoints the weak implementations of local-Self governance Act in general, and fiscal decentralization in particular, and also indicates that municipal tax potentials has not been exploited fully. Moreover, financial accountability is not up to mark.
Despite different limitation, municipal revenue efforts are yielding encouraging results. This book has analyzed fiscal decentralization in Nepal and highlighted the municipal perspective based on the four pillars of decentralization and suggested role to be assigned to local Governments in the federal context of Nepal.
Written by distinguished public servant, this book deals with theory and practices of fiscal decentralization from municipal perspective. It has deeply analyzed the situation of fiscal decentralization.
