District Advisory Council (DAC) members play a pivotal role in gathering data from their communities that would assist Government in working with its development partners.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu stressed this while addressing DAC members serving in communities from the Cakaudrove province on Monday.
“Governance is very important for us. Right now we have the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the office. Let me emphasise this, we are connected to the global issues and what drives global issues are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the implementation of these SDGs, what’s important is data,” Mr Seruiratu said.
“We do a lot of activities but we don’t capture information and that’s a challenge for developing countries like us and we are trying to improve on that. This is also why councillors are requested to provide reports and if there’ll be surveys, I hope you will cooperate,” Mr Seruiratu said.
“The quicker we get into our data sorted out, the better it will be for us in the long term,” he said.
Mr Seruiratu reiterated that Government had appointed them as development partners to assist in its development programs and as DAC members; they should play their part in assisting Government’s efforts through the submission of timely reports.
“When it comes to partners and if we are going to ask for taxpayers’ money from another country, it is a matter of justification and justification is through facts and data.”
He also acknowledged the DAC members for their contribution and support towards Government’s development programs.
Mr Seruiratu who was accompanined with the Ministry’s two Assistant Ministers, Jale Sigarara and Vijay Nath will be in Bua today to meet with DAC members serving communities within the province.
