Commission for Local Government Modernisation to Be Set Up under House Committee

Bratislava, 5 May (TASR) - An expert commission on local government modernisation will operate under the parliamentary committee for public administration and regional development and will serve as a platform for representatives of the Slovak Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS), the Slovak Association of Self-Governing Regions (SK8), and the Slovak Towns Union (UMS), with the option of inviting experts, representatives of the local government associations, House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD), and Interior Ministry State Secretary Michal Kalinak agreed at a meeting on Tuesday, TASR was told by the Parliament Office's communications department. ZMOS and SK8 representatives presented Rasi with their first joint position paper on public administration reform. "My goal is for Parliament to become the main institutional platform for the participatory refinement of this strategic document. The proposed commission represents a professional framework that, thanks to its precise legislative anchoring in the rules of procedure and the representation of local government partners, can ensure the continuity of reform processes regardless of the political cycle or electoral term," stated the parliamentary chair, adding that the resulting reform should reflect the real needs of the regions and contribute to the long-term stabilisation of the public sector. The commission established under the parliamentary committee should operate at the legislative and implementation levels; its task will be to translate the requirements of local authorities into legislative form and subsequent practice. am