Government begins next phase of Decentralization and Local Governance programs
Photo Credit: MIA
On Tuesday, NOVEMBER 27,2018 the Government of Liberia began a process leading to the next phase for implementation of Decentralization and Local Governance programs, accompanied by the full implementation of the recently signed Local Government Law.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs convened the first Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting on Decentralization (IMCD) at its Capitol Hill Office.
Implementation phase of the Liberia Decentralization Support Program (LDSP) expired in December, 2017. However, one-year no-cost extension was approved from January-December, 2018 as period to enable the new Administration to formulate a new approach.
During the meeting of cabinet Ministers, the Internal Affairs Ministry and Governance Commission made a presentation containing updates from the previous program, its achievements, challenges and way forward, along with a Plan of Action for the implementation of the Local Government Law.
Following nearly one and a half hours of discussions, cabinet Ministers requested Minister Honorable Varney A. Sirleaf to hire the best minds for the crafting of next Decentralization program document.
Minister promised to consult all stakeholders including partners and donor institutions.
Speaking earlier, Minister Sirleaf thanked the European Union in Liberia, Swedish Government, UNMIL, USAID - US Agency for International Development and United Nations Development Programme - UNDP.
The Minister commended the Governance Commission, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and all Ministries, Agencies and Commissions.
Present at the Meeting were the Ministers of Justice, Labor, Transport, Public Works, and Chairman of Governance Commission. Other institutions represented during the meeting are Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Youth and Sports, Posts &Telecommunications.
Others are the Liberia Revenue Authority ,Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Civil Service Agency, Center for National Archives and Documents.
Three Liberian local Government experts made presentations at the meeting including Honorable Olyayee S. Collins, Mr Actebeuoson Nyema and Mr. D. Emmanuel Wheinyue, all of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Governance Commission