President Joseph Boakai will today, July 4, host an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization (IMCD) meeting at the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Ministerial Complex.
The IMCD is the highest authority for setting national priorities and providing policy guidance and coordination for decentralization reforms.
A press release issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs said the President will preside over tomorrow’s meeting.
The IMCD comprises heads of all decentralization sector Ministries, Agencies and Commissions (MACs) under supervision of the President of Liberia as well as heads of Embassies and Development partners supporting decentralization and local governance reforms form part of the IMCD.
According to the release, the Minister of Internal Affairs Chairs the Decentralization Board, coordinates the activities of all sector agencies and provides periodic updates to the President and the Cabinet.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Francis Sakila Nyumalin has described the pending meeting as a pace-setting moment for the rollout of long-awaited reforms in the decentralization sector.
The release disclosed that presentations will be made on progress, challenges and lessons learned on decentralization including measures aimed at financing local government including County Service Centers (CSCs).
In 2012, government embarked a governance reform when it launched a National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance and subsequently opened County Service Centers as a one-stop shop for issuance of documentation services related to licenses, permits and certificates.
Currently, CSCs are faced with numerous challenges including manual processing of services, signing authorities still remain in Monrovia and the limited financial and logistical support, among others.
Despite challenges, the Ministry said the CSCs continue to offer some services.
A recent report released by the Ministry says over three hundred thousand people have obtained varying basic documentation services through the county service centers since 2015 when the first center was opened in Grand Bassa County. Currently there are 15 CSCs, one operating in each county.
The Ministry further said the enactment of a Local government Act of 2018 which provides for decentralization reforms in Liberia is one of the notable achievements of decentralization reform in the country.
The Ministry also named enactment of a Revenue Sharing Law, 2021, amendments and restatement of the Public Financial Management Law of 2019 and Revenue Code of 2011 both of which are intended to enable fiscal Decentralization and establishment of County Council in all 15 counties constitute some of the reforms.
