COUNTRY REPORT MUNICIPALITY OF ÑEMBY REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY.

COUNTRY REPORT

MUNICIPALITY OF ÑEMBY

REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY

Paraguay is a landlocked country surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil.

Population: 6.2 million (UN 2005)

Capital: Asuncion

Area: 406.752 sq. Km

157.048 sq.miles

Languages: Spanish, Guarani

Monetary Unit: Guarani

Main Exports: Soya beans, cotton, meat, edible oils, timber.

ÑEMBY CITYLocated at 25km from the Capital.

Population: 71.260

Strong demographic growth

1972 – 1982 11.5%

1982 – 1992 26.6%

1992 – 2002 10.2%

48.3%

Municipality of Ñemby

Organization Chart

Councillor Members Mayor

Secretary

Technical Assistant

Legal Division

Tribunal

Financial Consultant

General Secretaryl

Audit

Adm. & FinancesDivision

TaxationDivision

Public WorksDivision

Vehicle Traffic Division

Social DevelopmentDepartment

Accounting

Treasury

Budget

Cadastre

Commerce

Property

Urban cleaning service

Public Health

Inherited

M. T. P.

Patent

Driver licence

Women´s Secretary

Codeni

Culture & SportsDivision

Neighborhood commissions

Young people Secretary

AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT (DEC. 2001). THE MUNICIPALITY OF ÑEMBY ( AS WELL AS 90 % OF PARAGUAYANS MUNICIPALITIES ) HAVE BEEN IMMERSED IN A STRONG ADMINISTRATIVE-FINANCE CRISIS.

THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION LEFT TO THE COMMUNITY:

* HUGE DEBTS * REMARKABLE POLITIC CONFLICTS * DISCOURAGED STAFF, * BARELY TARIFF & TAX COLLECTION * INSUFFICIENT PUBLIC SERVICES

THOSE ITEMS POINTED OUT BEFORE CONTRIBUTED TO FORM AND

SUPPORT A NEGATIVE POINT OF VIEW ABOUT THE PUBLIC ORGANIZATION.

AT ONCE , THE NEW LOCAL AUTHORITIES BEGAN TO RUN A PROGRAM.

“ AN INTEGRAL IMPROVEMENT” ; A SHIFT IN THE PARADIGM FOR PUBLIC

ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS, FOCUSED ON : INCREASING TARIFF & TAX

COLLECTION AND SUITABLE INVESTMENTS FOR PUBLIC SERVICES, THROUGH A

NEW WAY OF MANAGEMENT ( ADMINISTRATIVE AND PERSONNEL SYSTEM) WITH

AN ENTHUSIASTIC AND DINAMIC PARTICIPATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD

COMMISSIONS.

. THESE STRATEGIES FOUGHT

AGAINST TAX EVASION,

*PROMOTED A TRANSPARENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND

CANALIZED HIGH PRIORITY NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

THIS PROCESS WAS SUPPORTED BY TECHNICAL ASSISTANT OF

U S A I D AND CONSIDERED ONE OF

THE BEST PRACTICE BY THE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ( FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY)

AND WAS PRESENTED AT THE 10th INTERAMERICAN

CONFERENCE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN MIAMI,FLORIDA,2004

IN ADDITION, THE

MUNICIPALITY OF ÑEMBY

ALONG WITH S E S

( SENIOR EXPERT SERVICE ) , A

GERMAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANT

ORGANIZATION HAVE ALREADY

PREPARED A BASIC MASTER PLAN.

IT WAS REGARDING TO THE

FEASIBILITY AND DIRECTION

DEVELOPMENT BY SECTORS

(RESIDENTIAL , COMMERCE , TOURIST ,

INDUSTRIAL , AND GREEN PLACES ).

Cerro Ñemby

AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT BASIC

SOCIAL SERVICES HAVE ACHIEVED

SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AND A BASIC

MASTER PLAN HAS BEEN ELABORATED.

THERE REMAIN HUGE VOIDS TO BE FILLED.

* 1- THE EXTRAORDINARY AND AGRESSIVE DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH IS STILL PROMOTING SERIOUS INCONVENIENTS.

* 2- THE ORGANIZATION OWN TAX COLLECTION AND …

* 3- THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE DURING THIS SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ARE NOT ENOUGHT TO SATISFY ALL COMMUNITY NEEDS.

PRIORITY NEEDS

*INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS; SUCH AS THE CONSTRUCCION

OF ROADS, BRIDGES, VOCATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTES, SCHOOLS,

HEALTH CENTERS, EQUIPMENTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS.

PROBLEMS THAT HINDER DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIZATION’S PROJECTS

• A STRONG CENTRALIZED SYSTEM OF THE COUNTRY GOVERNMENT.

• REGULATIONS WHICH ARE NOT ADVANTAGEOUS AT ALL.

THE ARTICLE Nº 169: PROPERTY TAXES. IN SHORT, THIRTY (30) % OF PROPERTY TAXES

FROM EACH MUNICIPALITY HAVE TO BE DEPOSITED IN AN ACCOUNT OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

THEREFORE, IN 2003 LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY:

1- SEVERAL LAW PROJECTS IN ORDER TO MODIFY SOME OUTDATED ONES, WHICH DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO A DINAMIC , MODERN , EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSING.

2- SPECIFIC AND CLEAR SUGGESTIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT TURNING ITS PRESENT WAY OF MANAGING INTO AN

OPENING, TRANSPARENT, DATED, AND DESCENTRALIZED SYSTEM.

ORGANIZATION’S MAIN TARGETONE OF THE MAIN GOAL IS TO GET SEVERAL KIND OF

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIONS , PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATION,

(AN INTEGRATED AND A SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM)

IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL- ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE

DEVELOPMENT.

WORK TOGETHER FOR A BETTER WORLD

THANK YOU VERY MUCH