Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are advocating for the optimization of domestic resource mobilization as part of efforts to enhance decentralization and local government in Liberia through domestic resource.
The CSOs say they see this process as essential to bringing development plans or initiatives that could influence the lives of the local populace.
“In the absence of resources, it would just be business as usual,” Herold Aidoo, Executive Director of Integrity Watch Liberia, one of the organizations under the LEAD project said.
LEAD strives to strengthen the ability of a few ministries, commissions, and agencies of Liberia to create and implement sensible tax laws, increase budget transparency, strengthen decentralization and provide superior subnational services.
The project believes that enhancing public engagement will be the main goal to increase accountability and transparency in governance both at the national level and in three counties that will be chosen in collaboration with USAID.
Launched in 2023, the five-year project will have contributed to the establishment of the mechanisms, frameworks for execution, and capability needed for efficient mobilization of domestic resources, budget transparency and decentralized governance. Along with increased citizen involvement in making sure their taxes are paid, these developments should strengthen Liberians’ relationship with their political institutions.
According to Aidoo, the government’s recent decision to allow CSOs to fully participate in the budget hearing for the first time is a positive step toward ensuring accountability and openness while also representing the interests of the general public. This allows CSOs to raise issues of concern for redress or answer.
“We are happy that we can facilitate these kinds of engagements between civil society, citizens and their legislators, because the budget needs to have a mechanism where the citizens can participate in the budget process and we think that is an important first step to have civil society organizations participating in the budget process,” he maintained.
He said this approach will improve the legislators’ supervision and involvement and assist CSOs in following up to make sure that the actual funds allotted to each spending body are used appropriately and openly.
“The current fiscal space of the budget is very small, and we believe that having civil society organizations to participate in the budget process will bring the perspectives of the issues at the community level to inform this budget discussion,” he said.
Aidoo said the Draft National Budget 2024 emphasizes the necessity for collaboration in order to increase the budgetary space for national growth and development, as it has limited space to satisfy all of the primary priorities of the various institutions.
