IDAD organizes national-level inception meetings on key policies and legislation

The high-level gathering was intended to discuss key issues relating to the 2018 Local Government Act, the Revenue Sharing Act of 2021,  and the National Reconciliation Plan

Monrovia, April 28, 2024:  The Institute for Democratic Action & Development (IDAD) has organized a one-day national-level inception meeting at a hotel in Monrovia.

The event, which took place recently, brought together Representatives from the Legislature, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education, and the Liberia Revenue Authority.

Others came from the National Traditional Council, the Ministry of State and Presidential Affairs, the Law Reform Commission, the Ministry of Gender, and the Governance Commission.

Also in attendance were representatives from the Ministry of Justice, and Civil Society Organizations, working on decentralization, development partners, and relevant diplomatic missions.

The essence of the high-level gathering was to discuss key issues relating to the 2018 Local Government Act,  (LGA), the Revenue Sharing Act of 2021 (RSA),  and the National Reconciliation Plan. 

During the meeting, stakeholders highlighted the significance of the key legal instruments and derived recommendations for reform and implementation.

The Executive Director of IDAD, Joseph Cheayan, provided the overview of the project and targeted legislation. 

For his part, the Chairperson of the Law Reform Commission, Cllr. Boakai Kanneh mentioned that the laws are yet to be implemented.

Cllr. Kanneh mentioned that the lack of infrastructure and capacity development is impeding the decentralization processes in the country relative to the full implementation of the Local Government Act.

The Chairperson of the Law Reform Commission pointed out that the 10-year period provided is insufficient for the realization of the Local Government Act. 

He indicated that to actualize the law, there should be infrastructural and capacity development of locals before the decentralization process implementation.

Also speaking, the Focus Person on Fiscal Decentralization at the Liberia Revenue Authority, S. Tunny Cooper underscored the need for political will in the implementation of the decentralization processes. Cooper stressed that practical actions need to be implored in the decentralization processes to ensure full implementation.

For his part the Accountability Lab, Executive Director Mr. Lawrence Yealue, stated that the decentralization process requires a multidimensional approach in its implementation, this means all stakeholders and policymakers must collectively work through complementing each other efforts and ensure that legal practitioners should also be involved in the legal interpretation and education of all stakeholders. 

Mr. Yealue also lauded the efforts of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and other partners for their continued support of the Liberia decentralization processes which is allowing Civil society organizations to actively participate. 

However, he indicated that more effort is needed to salvage the major problems confronting the process. 

 The National Level Inception Meeting forms part of IDAD’s funded project by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which is titled: Strengthening Citizens’ Knowledge through Awareness on the Local Governance Act (LGA), Revenue Sharing Act (RSA) and the National Reconciliation Plan (NRP) and the Decentralization Process in Liberia.

The project is expected to be rolled out in seven Counties including Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Maryland, Grand Kru, and Sinoe.

The IDAD is an independent, not-for-profit registered, policy research and advocacy organization that promotes decentralization and local governance processes in Liberia. It also promotes natural resource governance, democracy, and the rule of law including access to justice.

 It is a Liberian policy advocacy organization that channels the voices of Liberian citizens through community dialogues and advocacy.

IDAD strives to link communities to the governance framework to engender a culture of local participation in policy development and implementation. —Press release