ABSTRACT
Both the government and the World Bank have concluded that urban local authorities in Sri Lanka are less and less able to discharge a more and more limited range of responsibilities. There appears to be unanimous agreement on the need to strengthen the management capacity of urban local authorities in Sri Lanka. Both Municipal and Urban Councils are statutory bodies with the power to pass bylaws; to levy taxes, impose licences, charge fees and borrow money; and to spend money on the provision of certain statutory services. Urban local authorities seem bereft of the most basic managerial skills and capacities. According to both government and World Bank sources, urban local authorities exhibit many shortcomings. One suggestion for strengthening the management capacity of urban local authorities is to establish a computerized information system. The information system would become an active component of urban development.
