6 Mobilise local resources
to fund efforts to achieve the Millennium Goals Ensuring that there is sufficient funding for the programmes and investments necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals is crucial. While sources of revenue coming from outside of the locality will be important - e.g. funding coming through the national treasury, or funding from international governmental and non-governmental donors – it is equally important that local governments focus on generating revenues locally. Not only can local revenues be an important source of funding, they can also reinforce local public accountability, by creating a demand for good local public goods and services. In turn, where local accountability results in better quality local services, this can result in improved tax collection. This is a proven virtuous circle where improved general public awareness of the use and effectiveness of local taxes encourages payment. Local revenues can be increased by imposing property and land taxes, user fees for public utilities, and – often most importantly – by enhancing the capacity to enforce and collect existing taxes and levies. Improved collection may require updating records and simplifying procedures. But there may also be more logical and relevant local solutions to the problem of tax collection. Rural Uganda provides a very downto-earth example: local tax revenue tripled when collectors were provided with bicycles! However poor the district or village, a minimum level of own-resource revenue is key to ensuring the funding and the local accountability necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
On 1 July 2005, to mark the first global day of action against poverty (White Band Day 1), the Tanzanian anti-poverty coalition organized several events against poverty, including a march – involving hundreds of citizens - demanding quality basic public social services for all.
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