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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Urban Local Government Finance in Benin: The Case of Cotonou Urban District I
Author:Laleye, O. MouftaouISNI
Year:1992
Periodical:Public Administration and Development
Volume:12
Issue:1
Period:February
Pages:53-70
Language:English
Geographic term:Benin
Subjects:municipal government
local finance
Urbanization and Migration
Development and Technology
Economics and Trade
Politics and Government
External link:https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.4230120105
Abstract:The centralized system of government in Benin was established when the country was a French colony. During the 1970s and the 1980s, the government system was reorganized to conform to the principles of the ruling Marxist-Leninist regime. Deteriorating economic conditions have negatively affected the public sector in recent years. The capital city of Cotonou, however, has managed to perform better than other urban governments despite facing serious economic problems and many constraints imposed by a strict system of central control over local authorities. This paper examines the nature of and reasons for Cotonou's performance. It focuses on one of the six urban districts of Cotonou, viz. Urban District I (DUC I). Four aspects of DUC I finance particularly distinguish it from that of many other local authorities: the magnitude of the revenues mobilized; the normally substantial surpluses realized; the dependence of higher levels of government on district resources; and the ability of the district to meet its essential administrative expenditures. Two major constraints undermine the viability of DUC I's financial position: the centralized cash control system, and the fact that the relatively productive taxes of the district are not fully exploited. Bibliogr., notes, sum.
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