Liberia to get EU’s 1 Million Euros Award for increased service delivery under the decentralization Program
Photo Credit: MIA
Monrovia, December 5, 2018: The European Union has announced an award of one million Euros to the Liberian Government in for deconcentrating services at County Service Centers (CSCs) in the counties under the Liberia Decentralization Support Program (LDSP) over the past two years.
The European Union said it is awarding the Government with the cash contribution for what it describes as the comprehensive data collection on delivered services, as well as collected revenue and increased service delivery at the Service Centers.
An Internal Affairs Ministry said the EU made the announcement on its social media page shortly after a visiting EU delegation made a fact-finding mission on two of the Service Centers.
The mission is headed by Ms. Aude Guignard, European Union’s Country Desk Officer for Liberia based in Brussels, Belgium.
The fact-finding mission over the weekend visited County Service Centers in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County and Cestos, RiverCess County, respectively. Other members of EU delegation to the CSCs included Madam Julija Valentaite and Mr. David Palacios.
The release quotes the EU as saying the award will form part of its new budget support for each of the two next fiscal years.
Meanwhile, Internal Affairs Minister Honorable Varney A. Sirleaf has described the European Union’s announcement as welcoming.
Minister Sirleaf said the award is a significant mark of President Weah’s commitment of continuing with the implementation of the Liberia Decentralization and Local Governance Programs under the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development.
The Internal Affairs Ministry is the lead agency responsible for the implementation of the Liberia Decentralization Support Program/LDSP.
At the same time, Honorable Sirleaf attributed the success of the concept of County Service Centers to the total involvement and ownership of the Liberian people in the Counties and County leaderships.
Minister Sirleaf thanked the EU for its support to the Decentralization program since its inception, noting that the Government looks forward to further cooperation.
The County Service Center, a one-stop shop for the issuance of documentation services relating to certificates, permits and licenses, is part of the National Deconcentration Platform which is primarily intended to bring services closer to the people at same quality and cost as they are in Monrovia.
Even though a Local Government Law was recently signed, one of the major achievements of the Decentralization Program was the opening of 15 County Service Centers from where a total of 65,446 citizens have obtained various services.
Implementation of the Liberia Decentralization Support Program (LDSP) is funded by the European Union in Liberia, Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia, USAID/Liberia, UNMIL and UNDP Liberia.