By S. Siapha Mulbah (Cub Reporter)
Scores of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) over the weekend acknowledged the recent passage of the Revenue Sharing Bill by the House of Representatives.
The CSOs group boasted that Legislator’s decision to have such key development instrument pushed, aimed at ensuring its passage into law shows the strength and advocacy by the CSOs are yielding results.
Speaking at a major Press Conference that was attended by scores of Representatives, Integrity Watch Executive Director, Harold Aidoo said that Liberian lawmakers were effective on the passage because of the force exerted on them by the Civil Society community.
“We constantly engaged state actors to have the bill which falls under the Local Government Act to where it has now been placed passed,” he said.
Mr. Aidoo described passage of the bill as a milestone achievement for the country since 1847, noting that those that contributed to the signing process exhibited a high level of selflessness by putting the interest of the citizens above themselves.
According to him, as the Bill clearly maintains the allocation of revenue to the economy and other activities, it will serve as the foundation to take development to all parts of the country.
“We celebrate this Milestone achievement gained by the passage of this bill. We believe that the Revenue Sharing Bill will serve as the foundation for development to take place all over the country,” he said.
He noted that there has been a gain made by his team of the Integrity Watch of Liberia and other Civil Society Organizations that is always raising the volume and sending a message to policy-makers on promoting local governance issues.
“We hope that the Bill Passage will be the beginning to strengthen the partnership between the Civil Society and government especially the legislature in making basic reforms mostly with local government,” he added.
In response, the Bipartisan Committee on Illicit Financial Flows and Progressive Taxations (IFFs/PT) Rep. Francis Dopoe lauded the civil society for standing with them outside the Capitol for the bill and other financial mechanisms to place before plenary.
The River Gee County Representative said that the Revenue Sharing Bill is also an instrument that holds the government in sharing resources with its people not at will but by law.
He clarified that all necessary calculations have been made to have the people in concessional areas impacted by working around them as money raised in various counties will be used to develop said counties.
The lawmakers said it was a long fight to have the legislative instrument pushed for passage as they prayed to have a concurrence from the Senate.
He added, “The passage of this Bill is not just for the caucus but a plus to the people of the nation because it gives them hope and guidance for the protection of their interest in the Revenue allocation of the country.”
