ISLAMABAD, April 23: Citizen’s participation in monitoring and decision-making process will enhance the quality of service of the state institutions and efficiency of the government as a whole.

This was stated by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) chairman, Lt-Gen (Rtd) Tanwir Husain Naqvi, while talking to a delegation of the Department for International Development (DFID).

The delegation led by DFID director, Martin Dinham, called on the NRB chairman on Tuesday.

The NRB chairman said participatory approach was the guiding principle for economic, social and administrative reconstruction.

He said there was a need for capacity building in financial management and the fiscal decentralisation efforts by the NRB would improve the situation.

He said the donors should evaluate their projects on the basis of the ground reality.

The delegation appreciated the NRB’s initiatives regarding social and political reconstruction. The members of the delegation identified various areas of support and cooperation with the objective of establishing genuine and sustainable democracy.

They said involvement of the community in decision making was necessary to combat poverty. The new local government system was more participatory, proactive and encouraged community involvement in governance, they added.

The delegation appreciated the idea to have public debate on strategic issues before they were given final shape.

British High Commissioner Hilary Nicholas Synnott, head of the high commissions’ development section, Gareth Aicken, and senior governance advisor Jackie Chariton were also present on the occasion.