According to KhabarOnline Gilan, Kazem Yousefi, Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate, at the introduction ceremony of Kazem Karjoo as mayor of Amlash, while outlining the province's plans to support municipalities, announced the allocation of 41 billion tomans in credit from various sources to Amlash Municipality in the current year and stressed the necessity of drafting a five-year urban development plan, attracting investors, creating sustainable revenues and smartening urban services.

Yousefi, pointing to municipalities' responsibility in the development and public services sphere, stated: Urban management, in addition to carrying out development projects, must also pay attention to the economic and social conditions of society and employ all its capacity to provide desirable services to citizens. Stressing the importance of human resources in municipalities, he added: One of the main missions of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of the Governorate is following up the affairs of municipal employees, organizing their employment status and creating suitable conditions to raise their motivation and quality of performance. Citizen satisfaction; the main axis of municipal services — The Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate, pointing to the importance of how employees treat clients, stated: The quality of responsiveness and proper conduct toward people plays an important role in citizens' satisfaction, and urban management must, in addition to the final outcome of services, also attach importance to the quality of employees' communication with people.

Pointing to the population of more than 10 thousand employees of the province's municipalities, he said: Providing suitable conditions for employees' activity and increasing their motivation can help raise the quality of public services and improve municipalities' relations with citizens. Yousefi also announced the implementation of the labor-market attraction bonus plan for about two thousand worker employees of the province's municipalities and said: Under this plan, the attraction bonus for those covered has been set at 30 to 50 percent. 41 billion tomans in credit for Amlash Municipality — Yousefi, pointing to the budget situation of Amlash Municipality, stated: This municipality has received 41 billion tomans from various sources in the current year, and supporting the implementation of development projects and meeting the city's service needs remains on the agenda.

He also, pointing to the financial performance of Amlash Municipality last year, said: Of the total 160 billion tomans of the municipality's budget last year, 51 billion tomans was provided to this municipality from government credits. The Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate, pointing to the importance of realizing the budget, added: Municipalities that can realize their forecast revenue sources will have greater capacity for planning, implementing projects and benefiting from financial support. Stressing the necessity of correct use of existing resources, he noted: Financial planning must be such that, while covering current expenses, the implementation of development projects and the development of urban infrastructure are also pursued seriously. Amlash on the path of strengthening the development machinery fleet — Yousefi, pointing to the actions taken to supply the machinery needed by the province's municipalities, stated: Last year more than 200 pieces of machinery were placed at the disposal of Gilan's municipalities.

Pointing to the receipt of about six pieces of machinery by Amlash Municipality over roughly the past 18 months, he added: Strengthening the municipal machinery fleet can be effective in improving urban services, increasing executive capacity and accelerating development projects. He also referred to the planned inclusion of corpse-transport vehicles in the purchase baskets related to municipalities and said: Supplying these vehicles for municipalities in need has been pursued with the aim of improving services related to cemeteries and mortuaries. The five-year plan; a priority of Amlash urban management — The Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate, stressing the necessity of a long-term view in urban management, stated: Amlash Municipality must, in addition to the annual budget, draft a five-year plan for the city's development. He added: This plan must have specific goals in the fields of urban development, infrastructure, investment, public services and sustainable revenues so that decisions are made based on clear and assessable priorities. Yousefi, pointing to Amlash's economic and tourism capacities, considered attracting investors one of the important axes of urban development and stressed the necessity of using existing opportunities to implement new projects.

The Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate added: By providing the needed infrastructure and using legal capacities, municipalities can provide the ground for investors' participation in tourism, service and other development projects. He stressed: Reducing municipalities' dependence on revenues arising from construction violations and moving toward sustainable revenue sources will make long-term planning and more orderly implementation of urban projects possible.
Emphasis on the sustainable development of Amlash — Yousefi, in closing, while stressing cooperation among the municipality, the Islamic City Council and executive bodies, stated: Drafting the five-year plan, strengthening sustainable revenue sources, attracting investors, completing electronic infrastructure and using legal capacities must be among the priorities of Amlash urban management. He expressed hope that with targeted planning and coordination within the urban management complex, the ground will be provided for upgrading public services, developing infrastructure and increasing the satisfaction of Amlash citizens.
He also called for attention to the forecasts of the year 1406 budget and determining the financial resources needed to advance development and service plans. The necessity of activating municipalities' legal revenue-generating capacities — In another part of his remarks, Yousefi counted the activation of the Article 77 Commission of the Municipalities Law and the completion of the property audit process among the important issues of Amlash Municipality's financial management. He stated: Accurate identification of properties, determining the status of land and buildings and completing information related to urban properties can help organize revenues and improve management processes. He also stressed the necessity of using the capacity of the Article 5 Commission within the framework of legal regulations and in coordination with relevant bodies, and added: Correct use of legal capacities can be effective in advancing development projects and facilitating investment.
Emphasis on auditing and financial transparency — The Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate, pointing to the necessity of strengthening financial oversight in Amlash Municipality, considered the selection of an auditor for the fiscal year 1404 an important issue requiring follow-up. Stressing the role of auditing in identifying weaknesses and reforming financial processes, he stated: Careful oversight of the municipality's resources and expenditures, in addition to increasing transparency, helps protect public resources and reduce possible future problems. Yousefi called on the Islamic Council of Amlash to settle this matter and stressed the necessity of observing legal requirements in the financial and administrative spheres.
Toward a smart municipality and in-absentia services — Yousefi described the development of e-government as one of the important programs of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate and said: Municipalities must move toward a state where citizens can receive a considerable portion of the services they need without in-person visits. Referring to the reform of urban-planning software, the development of permit and license issuance systems, the creation of electronic archives and the completion of cities' spatial information, he added: Updating aerial maps, preparing geographic information layers and connecting systems related to properties and urban planning are among the requirements for achieving this goal.
The Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate stated: Citizens must be able to access information related to land use and carry out their administrative affairs, including forming files and paying fees, electronically as far as possible. Expressing hope regarding the plan to expand smart services in the province's municipalities, he said that with the completion of the necessary infrastructure, it will be possible to provide a considerable portion of services through applications and in-absentia systems. Development of smart transport in Gilan — Yousefi then referred to plans for smartening public transport and said: Measures have begun to develop electronic fare payment in the public transport fleet of the city of Rasht. Referring to the purchase of 30 buses for Rasht Municipality through the Municipalities' Cooperation Organization, he added: Using electronic wallets and digital payment tools can make the process of using public transport easier for citizens.
Referring to plans related to taxi services, he said: The experiences gained in this field, if the infrastructure is in place, can be extended to other cities of the province. Municipalities' role-playing in the economy and market regulation — The Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate, pointing to the necessity of increasing municipalities' economic role, stated: Developing fruit and vegetable markets and strengthening the goods supply chain are among the programs pursued with the participation of municipalities and related bodies. He added: Cooperation among provinces and using the capacity of the Municipalities' Cooperation Organization can provide the ground for exchanging products, facilitating goods supply and better use of production capacities. Yousefi, pointing to Gilan's production capacities, considered the development of links between producers and the distribution network an important economic issue and stressed the necessity of cooperation among responsible bodies to support the market and consumers. Identification of more than 400 sites ripe for investment — Yousefi also announced the identification of more than 400 points and sites ripe for investment within the limits, the privacy zone and outside the privacy zone of municipalities. He stated: These capacities can, while observing legal regulations and after the necessary reviews, be used for implementing partnership and investment plans.
Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate:
Director General of the Urban Affairs and Councils Office of Gilan Governorate:

Source: KhabarOnline