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President Ilves: innovation-related cooperation will unite our local governments

27.03.2009

“Innovation affects even the smallest local governments, although it is clear that it does not make sense for all local governments to develop unique e-service systems,” President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said in Kadriorg yesterday at a meeting of the Roundtable on Local Government and Regional Development.

“Often small local governments do not have sufficient resources – this is demonstrated solely by the great differences in the quality of local government websites,” the Head of State pointed out.

According to President Ilves, local governments should cooperate among themselves and with the counties in the course of joint development projects, and also involve entrepreneurs. “Citizens often expect faster and more flexible service than their local rural municipalities can provide,” the Head of State noted. “Therefore, the forces of the national and local governments must be united.”

While talking about the administrative reform President Ilves noted that local government leaders must definitely be involved in carrying out this inevitable reform. “Everyone understands the need to merge or unite local governments, but this process cannot be managed entirely from the national level. Local leaders are most familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of local governments,” he added.

At the working meeting of the Roundtable on Local Government and Regional Development, Member of Parliament Hannes Astok made a presentation about how technological solutions can help local governments govern more effectively. Teet Koitjärv, the Deputy Mayor of the Tapa Rural Municipality, introduced the e-service in Tapa Rural Municipality.

The President’s Roundtable on Local Government and Regional Development consists of representatives of the county local-government associations and their umbrella organizations. The function of the Roundtable is to formulate recommendations for the President of the Republic in questions related to regional development.

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