The technical cooperation project “Promoting decentralisation” aims to build the capacities of existing and newly-formed communities to autonomously manage the local government administration for the benefit of their inhabitants. GTZ is acting in an advisory and supporting role in implementing the general concept for the Mali decentralisation programme, assisting the establishment of the new communities and advising the interior ministry responsible for the communities.

The cooperative project “Community promotion programme” (DED, GTZ, KfW Entwicklungsbank (development bank)) is assisting the implementation of the national decentralisation policy in five districts in the Koulikoro and Ségou regions. The programme is advising rural communities on questions of local authority economics and administration, participative development planning, management of natural resources and waste and wastewater management.

The project “Advisor at economy and finance ministry” concentrates on improving macroeconomic analysis capacity, supporting with formulating and implementing the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and supporting the development of a revenue equalisation system.

The project “Promoting decentralised financial institutions” is making an important contribution to establishing decentralised financial institutions, which are essential for the economic development of agriculture and small-scale business and industry, as the poor rural population has virtually no access to the formal banking system. The project promotes the formation and growth of village savings banks and regional associations in Mopti and Timbuktu, and is also assisting the national ministry for economics and finance in implementing and further developing the national strategy and action plan for the microfinance system.