There are four objectives of decentralization: democracy, empowerment, efficiency and development. The major problem in decentralization is not so much whether to decentralize or not - but rather how to implement it. Varied experiences of several Asian countries imply that the fundamental obstacles are rooted in the difference of viewpoints regarding (a) redistribution of incomes, (b) economic stabilization, and (c) efficiency and resources allocation. What is the most desirable way to allocate different functions to different levels of government? The problem is not one of deciding which level of government will be in charge of which local public service. The challenge is to determine how the different levels of government could and should cooperate. Decentralization is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end, i.e., the improvement of people's quality of life.
