Congo Town (July 4, 2024)- The Acting Chairman of the Governance Commission (GC) says the Commission remains a committed player in the implementation of the decentralization policy and calls for a stronger political will to advance the process.

In a brief remark delivered at the forum organized by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization held at the ministerial complex in Congo Town, Prof. Alaric Tokpah emphasized GC's commitment to the collective effort for the implementation of the National Development Agenda (NDA). He furthered that the Governance Commission is a key driver of the decentralization policy, referencing the National Policy on Decentralization, the Local Government Law (LGA), and The Revenue Sharing Law (RSL) as some key contributions made by the Commission.

Held under the theme “Building a new Liberia through decentralization,” the meeting was presided over by the chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization (IMCD), His Excellency President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Sr, and attended by heads of Ministries, Agencies, and commissions (MACs) including Internal Affairs, Finance, the Liberia Revenue Authority, the Governance Commission as well as donor and development partners.

As an apex forum, the meeting serves as a space for stakeholders to dialogue on promoting decentralization, aligning with the president’s ARREST Agenda. The IMCD meeting highlighted the government’s efforts to enhance service delivery and reduce transaction costs for citizens, eliminating the need for them to travel to Monrovia for signatories and documentation processes.

At the same time, Chairman Tokpah thanked President Boakai for submitting the Bill calling for the establishment of the Ministry of Local Government to the Legislature.

Meanwhile, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai Sr at the ICDM meeting directed the relevant Ministries, Agencies Commissions (MACs), comprising the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Liberia Revenue Authority to commence the execution of the Revenue Sharing Law, principally Chapter 7.2, which calls for the retention of 40% of all revenues generated at County Service Centers.

President Boakai acknowledged the continuous support of development partners and called for stronger collaboration and coordination as the government continues the deconcentration of more services in the best interest of the citizens and people of Liberia.