The three-day international seminar on good governance ended in the city yesterday. Among other things, management and service of the mu-: Tytal corporations f-’atu^d in the discussion as one of the major components of the agenda. More autonomy for the corporations was the universal demand. Indeed the municipal bodies are hamstrung by too much control of the central government. There are many areas where the withdrawal of direct control of the government can enhance efficiency. One suggestion which the government should seriously concentrate on is that of direct negotiation with the investors by the corporation authorities.

It was however disappointing to see the representatives of the local municipal bodies roam around trodden tracks of complain while highlighting the importance of coordination. There is no doubt municipal corporations in our country suffer from serious fund constraints. But then this is the reality for all municipal authorities in the poor developing countries. One cannot help feeling there is some fundamental lacking in our City Corporation authorities when it comes to innovative thinking to meet a challenge. We can refer to the example of Indian cities of Surat and Calcutta eloquently cited by speakers in the seminar. One of the Municipal Corporations was in the red so much 30 that it nad to pay its staff from by borrowing from the bank. That same body ,we are told, now has a surplus fund of 75 crore rupees and it pulled off this apparent miracle without increasing municipal taxes. Amazing! How could they do it in an area where people are not very different from that of ours in terms of urban responsibility and sensitivity? Actually all this ameliorative giant leaps .boil down to sincerity and the innovative skills of the authorities.

Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Md. Hanif, one of the speakers in the seminar, has a habit of lamenting over things he does not have at his disposal. things he thinks would radically change Dhaka’s face. More often than not he would either dwell on Metropolitan Government, rather its absence, or it is the only promise he has been able to live up to — not increasing the holding taxes. Well, it's time he unlearnt harping on things beyond reach. This seminar has shown that there is a lot one can do to make a difference if one has drive, sincerity and vision.