The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development was established in 1948. At first it was responsible for the labour market as well as local government finances and administration, but since then both the name and the sphere of responsibility have been changed several times, in line with societal developments.
The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development
The Ministry is currently responsible for matters relating to housing and building policy, rural and regional policy, local administration, local government finances and the conduct of elections.
The Ministry’s political leadership consists of the minister and three state secretaries. The minister has a political adviser. The most senior official in the Ministry is the secretary general, who assists and advises the minister and coordinates the work of the Ministry, which has 190 employees. In short, the Ministry functions as the minister’s staff.
The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development currently consists of three specialised departments with responsibility for specific policy areas, an administration department and a communication unit:
