The Liberian Senate is initiating a major fiscal and legislative overhaul aimed at decentralizing power and enhancing accountability, Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence has disclosed. According to a Senate release issued over the weekend, speaking at the National Assembly of Chiefs and Tribal Governors in Gbarnga, an event presided over by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., Karnga-Lawrence affirmed the Senate’s commitment to fully implementing the Local Government Act of 2018.
The assembly was held under the theme: “Kwa Pa Ku quieh-ma Ku-noih-tuh” or “LET’S COME TOGETHER AND BUILD OUR COUNTRY.” The Pro Tempore outlined several key actions the Senate will undertake to strengthen county autonomy and ensure project-focused spending, capitalizing on the country’s first-ever national budget exceeding $1 billion.
The Senate will establish salaries and set qualifications for County Council members within the national budget to formalize local governance structures. The release stated that in a major policy change, Senator Karnga-Lawrence declared that the County and Social Development Funds (CSDF) must be used “only for development” projects. Counties will now be required to develop separate operational budgets, ending their reliance on the CSDF for administrative costs.
Source: ProTemp Media
