By: Julius Konton
Liberia has taken a significant step toward strengthening local governance and fiscal autonomy, as the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) launched a three-day high-level technical session on County Treasury Reform in Buchanan.
The initiative, led by the Ministry’s Fiscal Decentralization Unit, marks a renewed push to shift financial decision-making away from the capital, Monrovia, toward counties, an effort widely seen as central to improving public service delivery and accountability across the country.
A Historic Shift from Centralized Governance
For decades, Liberia has operated a highly centralized fiscal system, with most budgetary decisions, approvals, and financial transactions processed in Monrovia.
This structure, rooted in post-war state rebuilding and administrative consolidation, has often led to inefficiencies, delays, and limited local autonomy.
However, under the country’s decentralization policy framework first formalized in the early 2010s, the government has been gradually transferring administrative and fiscal responsibilities to local authorities.
According to government estimates, more than 80% of public expenditure decisions were historically controlled at the central level, underscoring the scale of the ongoing transition.
Speaking at the opening session, Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning Tanneh Brunson emphasized that the reform represents a critical turning point.
“We are discussing key transitions in how budgets are managed, especially at the county level. This is a process that requires attention, commitment, and a shift in mindset,” she said.
Brunson stressed that county treasuries will serve as the backbone of Liberia’s decentralization agenda, enabling local governments to plan, execute, and monitor their own budgets more effectively.
Building Financial Independence at the Local Level
A core objective of the reform is to reduce counties’ dependence on central government allocations and encourage internally generated revenue.
“Counties must begin to see themselves as economic actors,” Brunson noted. “Not everything will come from central government funds.”
Liberia’s 15 counties are endowed with diverse natural and economic resources from agriculture and forestry to fisheries and mining.
Yet, limited financial autonomy has historically constrained their ability to fully leverage these assets.
Officials say empowering counties to generate and manage their own revenues could significantly boost local development outcomes, particularly in rural areas where poverty rates remain high.
According to World Bank data, over 50% of Liberia’s rural population lives below the poverty line, highlighting the urgency of effective local governance reforms.
Expanding Treasury Infrastructure Nationwide
Director of the Fiscal Decentralization Unit, Dr. Romeo Gbartea, revealed that the government plans to expand treasury operations nationwide as part of the reform rollout.
Following a nationwide assessment conducted in 2025, six additional county treasuries are set to be established in 2026, including:
Grand Kru
Maryland
Grand Gedeh
Sinoe
Bong
Lofa
The expansion will include both new construction and renovation of existing facilities, with funding already secured.
“There is no more debate about infrastructure,” Dr. Gbartea said. “We are moving forward with construction and upgrades to ensure counties are fully equipped.”
Currently, only a limited number of counties have fully functional treasury systems, creating disparities in financial management capacity across regions.
Digital Transformation to Eliminate
Bureaucratic Delays
A major pillar of the reform is the automation of county-level financial processes, aimed at reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and improving efficiency.
Under the new system:
Financial documents will be digitized and processed electronically
Counties will no longer need to send officials to Monrovia for approvals
Transactions will be handled through integrated digital platforms
“We don’t want counties traveling to Monrovia with documents,” Dr. Gbartea emphasized. “Everything should be scanned, uploaded, and processed electronically.”
Experts note that digitization could significantly cut transaction processing times, which previously could take days or even weeks due to administrative backlogs.
International Support and Long-Term Vision
The reform initiative is being supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is providing technical assistance and logistical backing.
Officials say the reforms are part of a long-term 10-year strategy designed to build local capacity and institutional resilience.
“Our goal is to create a system where, within a decade, counties can fully manage their own financial operations,” Dr. Gbartea explained.
The strategy also includes deploying key financial personnel such as auditors, procurement officers, and budget specialists directly within counties to strengthen oversight and accountability.
Local Leaders Call for Swift Implementation
County authorities have welcomed the initiative, while urging the government to ensure timely implementation.
Representing the Superintendent Council, Sinoe County Superintendent Antoinette Nimely called for concrete outcomes.
“We hope the decisions made here will move quickly into action so counties can begin to benefit,” she said.
Meanwhile, Grand Bassa County Superintendent Karyou Johnson highlighted structural challenges that could hinder decentralization efforts, particularly inconsistencies across government ministries.
“Different ministries operate separate district systems.
We need a unified structure to improve coordination and service delivery,” Johnson noted.
Toward Greater Transparency and Accountability
The technical session, held from March 18–20, is reviewing and updating the 2014 County Treasury Financial and Operational Manual, aligning it with current fiscal policies and governance goals.
According to the MFDP’s Fiscal Affairs Department, the revised framework is expected to:
Enhance financial transparency
Strengthen accountability mechanisms
Improve public service delivery at the local level
The next phase will involve broader stakeholder consultations leading to the formal adoption of the updated County Treasury Financial and Training Manual.
A Defining Moment for Liberia’s Governance Reform
As Liberia continues its post-conflict development trajectory, decentralization remains a cornerstone of efforts to build inclusive governance and equitable economic growth.
Analysts say the success of the county treasury reform could redefine how public resources are managed, potentially shifting power closer to citizens and improving development outcomes across the country.
If effectively implemented, the initiative could mark one of the most consequential governance reforms in Liberia’s recent history transforming counties from administrative outposts into engines of local development.
