MONROVIA: President Joseph N. Boakai has directed that all relevant sector Ministries, Agencies and Commissions related to the County Service (MACs,) including the Liberia Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, to 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 will remain in that county for development purposes .
According to President Boakai, this is a desire as government to demonstrate strong political will and to indicate that the government is ready to move the decentralization program forward:
“Henceforth, we herewith 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,” President Boakai noted .
Speaking Friday, June 5, 2024, when he launched the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization Meeting held at the EJS Ministerial Complex, Congo Town, the Liberian President indicated that, this 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.
“This will help address the old-age financial challenges that have
impeded the effective and efficient operations of the County Service Centers” he said.
He lauded the leadership of the different line MACs, and encourage them to strengthen coordination amongst themselves, even at the county level, so as to contribute to the cumulative impact of our decentralization program.
The President pointed out that, since 2012, the National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance was launched as a mean 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.
“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” President Boakai said.
He noted that, the Revenue Sharing Law which is gear to facilitate fiscal decentralization in a decentralized system of governance is intended to 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.
He indicated that, this system has left the County Service Centers that should be functioning and raising revenue, often stranded to raise operational costs.
He emphasized that, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization Meeting, our meeting here today as the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization (IMCD) which took place was comprises of all heads of Ministries, Agencies and Commissions (MACs) involved with the decentralization program under his supervision, provided 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.
“I am informed by the Minister of Internal Affairs that we have made some progress in government’s decentralization reform efforts but are challenged by a number of factors that continue to impede acceleration in our drive to improve service delivery to our people” President Boakai stated .
He used the occasion to congratulate all development partners for their continuous willingness and commitments shown over the years in support of our decentralization program adding that, “We also seek stronger collaboration and coordination as we continue this journey together in the best interest of the citizens and people of Liberia”.