By Alex Yomah
The Institute for Research & Democratic Development (IREDD), a non for profit group with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has begun an early campaign for an unhindered passage of an ACT entitled “Revenue Sharing Bill”.
The Revenue Sharing Bill is said to have originated from the Governance Commission (GC) and is now before the President for perusal to be submitted to the legislature for passage.
IRRED on yesterday convened members of the legislative leadership with an objective enlightening members of the august body on the importance of the bill which among other things is intended to decentralize political power and fiscal benefits; to promote real time economic development through adequate domestic revenue mobilization efforts at local level across the counties void of political influence.
The Bill when passed into law; will allow county’s administrations to benefit direct unobstructed financial flows to carry out socio-economic and infrastructural developments in Liberia.
Giving an overview of the Revenue Bill, IRRED Project Coordinator, Deacon Bob Johnson, stated that the bill is an offspring of the local Government’s Act that was passed into law by the legislature in 2018.
He mentioned that the proposed act, if passed into law, will guide revenue collected to be shared between central government and local governments.
“It seeks to promote socio-economic & infrastructural development across the fifteen counties void of politics,” Deacon Johnson asserted.
According to him, IRRED’s advocacy stemmed from Chapter 4 of the Local Government Act of 2018 on the Financing of Local Governments which calls for revenue sharing of certain nationally generated revenues from natural resources between the central and local governments as well as between local governments and sub-local government units based on a formula to be recommended by the Local Government Fiscal Board and enacted into law by the Legislature; and Article 7 of the Liberian Constitution mandates the Government of Liberia to manage the natural resources of Liberia in a manner that advances the general welfare and the economic development of the Liberian people.
In remarks, Nimba County District #6, Representative Dorwohn Twain Gleekia, hailed the IRRED and committed his personal vote for the passage of the pending bill.
Rep. Gleekia added that the bill is vital because it addresses what he calls county’s division.
“If this bill is achieved, there will be no need to share counties, because every county will generate its own money for developments,” he said.
For his part, Bong County Senator, Henrique Tokpa, advised the IRRED to strengthen their lobbying power in order to push the bill at the Legislature.
“I hope you have lobbyists, because if not, the bill will die in the Committee’s room,” Bong County Senator said.
Meanwhile, both Senator and Representative assured IRRED their votes for the passage of the bill but also admonished the group to extend their lobbying power to the Executive where they believe have the power to influence.