The Ministry of Internal Affairs over the weekend held a meeting to discuss access to County Development Funds and Social Development Funds provided in the National Budget each year for development of Liberia’s fifteen Counties.
A release from the Ministry said the meeting was intended to agree on standing guidelines for accessing the CDF, SDF and other funds allocated in the National Budget directly to Counties.

The Guidelines developed by the Ministry, are consistent with the Public Financial Management (PFM) Law, the Concession Agreements that provide Social Developments Funds, The National Budget Law and the Public Procurement and Concession (PPC) Act and Regulations.

At the opening on the meeting, Internal Affairs Minister Blamoh Nelson said the guidelines, referred to as the MIA Due-diligence Checklist were drown up due to concerns raised by several Lawmakers, the Governance Commission, Some County Superintendents and members of the public, about access to the various County accounts.

Minister Nelson cited the Nimba County Sports Pitch; questions arising from Grand Cape Mount County PMC Report for FY/2010-2011 and the recent dramatic developments with Montserrado County as cases in point.

He said the measures put in place will ensure general compliance with not only the PPC Act; but, with PFM Law, the MDAs, and Section-9 of the FY/2012-2013 Budget Law- all of which provide the legal framework for accessing the CDF and SDF. 

The meeting brought together the Chairpersons of the House and Senate Standing Committees on Internal Affairs and Governance, Chairpersons of the 15 County Legislative Caucuses, the head of the PPCC Madam Peggy V. Meres, representatives of the Governance Commission and the Internal Audit Secretariat, among others.

Some of the MIA Due-diligence measures ensure that each County establishes a single County Development Fund Account and that each County conducts a County Council for the purpose of allocating CDF and SDF and pass a Resolution for expenditure accordingly.

Meanwhile, the Internal Affairs Ministry has instituted a temporary measure of Check-release authorization with banks operating in Liberia as a means of confirming that, prior to issuance and encashment of checks, all expenditures are consistent with the County Council Resolutions and that various PMCs are acting in compliance with PPC Act and Regulations as required of them by the Budget Law.