-Mulbah

Deputy Minister for Local Government and Decentralization Edward K. Mulbah says decentralization is critical to transforming Liberia’s agriculture sector and improving development in rural communities.

Speaking at the Ministry of information regular press briefing on Tuesday September 15 Mulbah said  Liberia needs to move away from a system where decisions about what farmers should produce are largely made from Monrovia.

He said under the decentralization agenda, counties and local communities should have a greater role in determining their agricultural priorities based on their local needs and economic opportunities.

According to him, agriculture is one of the sectors that could benefit significantly from the devolution of government functions.

He noted that about 70 percent of Liberians are farmers, making it important for agricultural planning to reflect the realities of communities across the country.

“Monrovia-based planning has never worked for them,” Mulbah said, arguing that agricultural decisions should increasingly be made closer to farmers.

He said the government wants to move toward a system in which county agricultural teams and farmers can have greater influence over what is produced and marketed in their respective counties.

Mulbah said decentralization should also extend to other sectors, including roads, health, education, justice and security.

He described road decentralization as particularly important to rural development, noting that poor roads affect the delivery of medicines, the movement of teachers and farmers’ ability to transport their produce to markets.

According to him, without reliable roads, other development efforts in the counties will face serious challenges.

Mulbah said the government’s decentralization agenda is therefore intended not only to transfer administrative responsibilities but also to strengthen local development and ensure that communities have a greater role in decisions affecting their lives.

He said the ongoing decentralization process is being guided by the Local Government Act of 2018 and other legal frameworks intended to strengthen local governance and promote citizen participation in development.