Government Intensifies Fiscal Decentralization, Ring-Fences Rural County Allotments

Cestos, Rivercess County - The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and its partners, has launched a major initiative to ring-fence rural county allotments as part of efforts to accelerate the country’s fiscal decentralization program.

The fiscal decentralization initiative is aimed at strengthening local governance, improving public financial management, and driving development at the county level.

The announcement was made during the opening of a high-level sector meeting on fiscal decentralization, budget disaggregation, and fiscal rules. The gathering brought together county officials, spending entities, development partners, and representatives of international organizations, including UNICEF.

Speaking at the start of the week-long meeting in Cestos City, Rivercess County, Deputy Finance Minister for Budget and Development Planning, Hon. Tenneh G. Brunson said the initiative is part of the Boakai administration’s broader agenda to bring government services and financial decision-making closer to the people.

According to Minister Brunson, Liberia’s public financial management system has historically been heavily centralized in Monrovia, contributing to uneven development and limiting opportunities for citizens in rural communities.

She referenced President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s July 4, 2024, directive requiring all government spending entities to operationalize signatories and budget disaggregation at the county level. Minister Brunson described the directive as “transformational,” noting that it is designed to improve accountability, transparency, and service delivery nationwide.

“I want to re-emphasize this: all spending entities are expected to operate through county treasury structures in line with the Revenue Sharing Laws, related regulations, and the national fiscal decentralization policy This is not optional , it is a requirement for ensuring accountability, transparency, and efficiency in public financial management,” she declared.

Minister Brunson disclosed that the government has already invested heavily in capacity-building efforts, including training 19 technicians and county leaders in fiscal decentralization and financial management at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Director for Fiscal Decentralization at the MFDP, Dr. Romeo D.N. Gbartea urged government institutions and county officials to fully embrace the reform process and reject the misconception that local institutions lack the capacity to manage public resources effectively.

“I’m going to be practical here this morning,” Dr. Gbartea told participants. “Whenever we talk about decentralization, some people claim those in the counties do not have the capacity. That is an illusion. The people in the counties are educated, qualified, and capable of managing public resources.”
He explained that the government has already coded budget activities by county to ensure accurate tracking of expenditures and equitable distribution of resources across the country.

Dr. Gbartea said compliance with the decentralization policy would be mandatory for all government spending entities and assured participants that additional technical support and continuous training programs would be provided.

The meeting also received support from development partners. UNICEF Liberia’s Deputy Country Representative, Dr. Amadou Cisse reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting the government’s decentralization agenda.

The UNICEF official described the partnership with the Government of Liberia as “intentional” and pledged continued collaboration to strengthen local governance systems and improve service delivery.
“This is an integral part of UNICEF’s commitment to supporting decentralization in Liberia,” Dr. Cisse stated. “We are more than happy to support this initiative and strengthen the commitment we share together.”

The next leg of the week-long fiscal decentralization, budget disaggregation, and fiscal rules sector meetings will be held in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, on Tuesday, followed by events in Kakata, Gbarnga, and Sanniquellie