MONROVIA – The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning of Liberia has begun a major nationwide fiscal decentralization initiative aimed at strengthening county treasury operations, improving public financial management, and expanding local participation in government budgeting and expenditure processes.
The initiative, being implemented through the Ministry’s Fiscal Decentralization Unit (FDU) under the Department of Fiscal Affairs, will involve a weeklong engagement across five counties as part of ongoing efforts to operationalize Liberia’s county treasury framework and advance deconcentration governance reforms.
According to the Ministry, the exercise, scheduled from May 18 to May 22, 2026, will bring together stakeholders from both Monrovia and the counties, including Rivercess, Grand Bassa, Margibi, Bong, and Nimba Counties.
The sector engagements will be chaired by county superintendents and attended by representatives of ministries, agencies and commissions (MACs), treasury officers, and other local government stakeholders.
Focus on Fiscal Decentralization, Accountability
In a statement, the Ministry said discussions during the county visits will focus on implementing fiscal decentralization policies, enforcing the 2026 Fiscal Rules, budget disaggregation, county treasury operations, and strengthening expenditure accountability mechanisms.
The Ministry noted that the initiative forms part of broader government reforms intended to improve transparency, efficiency, and accountability in public financial administration at the local level.
Under the implementation schedule, Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning Tenneh G. Brunson is expected to launch the assessment exercise in Rivercess County before engagements continue in Grand Bassa, Margibi, Bong, and Nimba Counties throughout the week.
‘Government Services Must Reach the Counties’
Director of the Fiscal Decentralization Unit, Romeo D.N. Gbartea, emphasized that spending entities must begin operating fully through the county treasury framework in line with Liberia’s Revenue Sharing Law and associated regulations.
According to Dr. Gbartea, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has directed that government services and financial operations increasingly be decentralized to the local level as part of broader governance reforms.
The Ministry explained that fiscal decentralization remains a major pillar of the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development and the County Development Agenda, both of which prioritize stronger local governance, transparency, and improved public service delivery.
County Treasuries to Expand Nationwide
Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan stated that the reforms align with President Boakai’s decentralization policy announced during the July 4, 2024 meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs Anthony G. Myers and Comptroller and Accountant General Elwood Nettey disclosed plans to establish six additional county treasuries in Sinoe, Grand Kru, Maryland, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, and Bomi Counties.
Officials say the expansion is expected to strengthen transparency, accountability, and efficiency within local government financial structures.
County Treasury System Already Operational in Four Counties
The Ministry explained that the county treasury framework functions as a centralized local hub for budgetary allotments, expenditure management, and other financial administration processes.
Fiscal deconcentration has already commenced in Grand Bassa, Bong, Nimba, and Margibi Counties, where county treasury offices are currently processing allotments, budgeting activities, and financial transactions for government spending entities operating within those jurisdictions.
Under the 2026 Fiscal Rules, the Ministry has now mandated that all spending entities operating in the counties process their allotments and expenditures through county treasury structures.
“All spending entities in the counties or local government administrations shall process allotments, financial budgeting, and other fiscal processes through the county treasury frameworks,” the Ministry stated.
The Ministry added that treasury officers in the counties are expected to process transactions efficiently in order to reduce dependence on centralized fiscal operations in Monrovia.
Push for Stronger Local Governance
Authorities say the county engagements are intended to improve accountability, strengthen local participation in fiscal governance, and ensure strict compliance with Liberia’s Public Financial Management Law.
Observers say the decentralization initiative could significantly improve service delivery and financial oversight at the county level if fully implemented and adequately supported.
For years, governance advocates and local leaders have called for greater fiscal decentralization in Liberia, arguing that excessive concentration of financial decision-making in Monrovia has slowed development and weakened accountability at the local level.
The Ministry maintains that the latest reforms represent another important step toward building a more responsive, transparent, and locally driven public financial management system across Liberia.
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