The Unity Party led Government headed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is said to be demonstrating strong political will in a drive to indicate that the government is ready to move the decentralization program forward.
As part of said endeavor, President Boakai stated that relevant MACs, including the Liberia Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, should begin to implement the Revenue Sharing Act especially Chapter 7.2, which calls for retention of 40% of all revenues generated at County Service Centers.
This he pointed out will help address the old-age financial challenges that have impeded the effective and efficient operations of the County Service Centers.
Moreover and in line with the law, President Boakai direct all sector Ministries, Agencies and Commissions related to the County Service Centers to devolve approvals and signing authorities to their respective representatives with the necessary safeguard to enhance service delivery at the subnational level.
Something he indicated is intended to ensure adequate and timely service delivery and to reduce transaction costs for citizens who usually bear huge costs to travel to Monrovia to obtain signatories to complete whatever documentation processes that are initiated at the County Services Centers.
Speaking at the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization Meeting at EJS Ministerial Complex, Congo Town
July 4, 2024, President Boakai used the ocassion to thank the leadership of the different line MACs, and also encourage them to strengthen coordination amongst themselves, even at the county level, so as to contribute to the cumulative impact of the Country’s decentralization program.
The Liberian leader at the same time extended gratitude to the Development partners for their continuous willingness and commitments which have been shown over the years especially in support of our decentralization program.
“We also seek stronger collaboration and coordination as we continue this journey together in the best interest of the citizens and people of Liberia”, he added.
“You will recall during my SONA on January 29, 2024, I informed the nation amongst other things, about my Legislative Agenda including the Bill seeking for the establishment of the Ministry of Local Government, which is aimed at advancing modalities to operationalize the Local Government Act passed in 2018 and to drive the Government’s decentralization program and we also mentioned taking steps to operationalize the Revenue Sharing Law to facilitate fiscal decentralization in a decentralized system of governance”, he added.
He acknowledged that centralized system of governance has impacted the sub-national bodies as they do not have any authority to use a portion of locally generated revenue to address development needs.
This system he pointed out has left the County Service Centers that should be functioning and raising revenue, often stranded to raise operational costs.
The Liberian leader informed the gathering that since 2012, the National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance was launched as a means of establishing a framework for effective and efficient service delivery at the sub-national level, while enhancing participatory decision making to strengthen local planning and capacity development for local government administrations.
According to him, his administration have made some progress in government’s decentralization reform efforts but are challenged by a number of factors that continue to impede acceleration in its drive to improve service delivery to the people of Liberia.
“Our meeting here today as the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization (IMCD) which comprises of all heads of Ministries, Agencies and Commissions (MACs) involved with the decentralization program under my supervision, provides perfect opportunity to take critical decisions to address the impediments and other challenges that are impacting decentralization, in particular the delivery of services to our people”, he said.
