MICAT Weekly Press Briefing - Thursday, November 14, 2024

MIA, USAID Conclude Decentralization Reforms Orientation For CSOs

By
T. Ezekiel Geeplay

MIA, USAID Conclude Decentralization Reforms Orientation For CSOs

 

MONROVIA, Nov. 19 (LINA) – The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has completed a two-day orientation on decentralization reforms for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Grand Bassa, Nimba, and Bong Counties.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Saturday, November 16, 2024, the orientation aims to enhance participants' understanding of the Local Government Act of 2018 and other key decentralization initiatives designed to strengthen local governance in Liberia.

The program featured a series of presentations from governance and development experts, offering insights into the structure and implementation of decentralization reforms.

Providing a historical overview of these reforms, Actebeoson Nyema, Program Manager at the Governance Commission, emphasized the significance of the Local Government Act in empowering local authorities and elaborated on the roles and responsibilities of the County Council, stressing its importance in fostering effective local governance.

Also, the release noted that MIA’s Assistant Minister for Research and Development Planning, Emmanuel Wheinyue, addressed common misconceptions about local government reforms and provided clarifications on several aspects of the Local Government Act, ensuring participants had a comprehensive understanding of its provisions and objectives.

Meanwhile, the release added that Jesse B. Cole, a representative from Bong County and spokesperson for the participating CSOs, lauded USAID and the MIA for organizing the workshop.

He noted that the session had significantly improved their knowledge of local governance, which would enable them to better engage with local authorities. The orientation also included presentations by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on the Direct Tax Unit and its relevance to local governance.