Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has successfully concluded a one-day capacity-building and peer learning workshop for local government officials from Bong, Nimba, Grand Bassa and Montserrado counties.
The event which was held over the weekend, brought together over 40 county-level stakeholders, including county administrative officers, county development officers, county finance officers, county council chairpersons, service center coordinators, county information officers, the Bong County Superintendent, the media, and persons living with disabilities in Gbarnga City on Friday, March 21, 2025.
The event served as a platform for participants to share experiences, lessons learned, and best practices while enhancing their understanding of local governance with key focus on accountability in the areas of county budget planning, execution, reporting in line with established laws and regulations to ensure transparency and accountability at the county level.
During the opening session, Executive Director of Naymote, Eddie D. Jarwolo, stated that if Liberia’s democracy is to flourish, the need for a robust, effective, and efficient local government with the right personnel, resources, and support cannot be overemphasized.
He reiterated his institution’s commitment to strengthening local governance through its Democracy Advancement Program, funded by the Embassy of Sweden.
Deputy Minister for Research, Planning, and Development at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Edward K. Mulbah, underscored the importance of building the capacities of local government officials.
He commended Naymote for its collaboration and urged local administrations to adhere to the Local Government Act and County Development Agenda to fulfill government commitments and advance the AAREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. Mulbah facilitated the peer learning session of training and shared the Ministry’s agenda for an effective, inclusive, accountable and transparent local government.
For their part, participants shared that they have developed annual work plans for the county administration and county councils, county procurement plans, and organized district-level consultations and county council settings for the budget discussions and approval as part of best practices to drive more people-centered and people-driven projects into action through existing collaboration and coordination among stakeholders.
Officials from Nimba County highlighted the implementation of 32 sustainable projects benefiting citizens, while Bong County reported the integration of agriculture projects into its development plan to boost revenue generation and create employment opportunities for residents of the county.
However, participants also identified key challenges, including limited support for county service centers, delays in disbursing county development and social development funds, inadequate human resource capacity, and a lack of support in tracking county budget implementation at the district levels.
During his session on budget planning, financial oversight, and transparency, Financial Management Specialist and Bong County Treasury, Sam K. Flomo, admonished participants to adhere to the Local Government Act, Revenue Sharing Law, Public Financial Management Act, Fiscal Rules and familiarize themselves with financial regulations to ensure transparency and accountability, which are crucial for effective governance at the county level.
He also introduced participants to a new policy requiring ministries and agencies to submit a Procurement Plan to the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and the PPC has to approve the plan before receiving allotments for goods and services (Account Code 22).
