MFDP Moves to Strengthen County Financial Systems-Conducts validation session on accountability across all counties

MONROVIA – In a move that could quietly reshape how public funds are managed beyond Monrovia, the Government is taking another step toward deepening fiscal decentralization, with renewed focus on strengthening county-level financial systems across the country. At the center of this effort is a new operational framework designed to bring consistency, accountability, and transparency to how counties handle public resources. As THE ANALYST, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is preparing to host a high-level validation session on a revised County Treasury Financial and Operational Manual, a key policy tool expected to guide local financial governance and align county structures with evolving national reforms and decentralized service delivery objectives nationwide.

The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) is set to convene a high-level validation session aimed at finalizing a critical policy instrument designed to strengthen fiscal governance at the county level across Liberia.

The session, scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2026, will focus on the County Treasury Financial and Operational Manual—a comprehensive framework intended to guide the establishment and effective management of county treasuries nationwide.

According to the Ministry, the validation exercise will take place at its headquarters in Monrovia and is expected to bring together senior government officials, technical experts, and key stakeholders involved in public financial management.

The initiative represents a significant step in Liberia’s ongoing decentralization agenda, which seeks to shift aspects of governance and resource management closer to local communities while maintaining national standards of accountability and oversight.

The upcoming session follows the conclusion of a three-day technical working session held in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, where representatives from various public financial management institutions reviewed and updated the draft manual.

That technical session, described as intensive and collaborative, provided an opportunity for stakeholders to assess existing gaps, incorporate reforms, and align the manual with current legislative and policy developments.

The revised manual now reflects several important legal and institutional changes that have taken place in Liberia’s governance landscape in recent years.

Among these are provisions from the Local Government Act, amendments to the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act, the Revenue Sharing Law and its 2025 regulations, as well as updates within the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) framework.

These reforms collectively aim to establish clearer rules for how public funds are collected, allocated, and managed at the county level, ensuring that decentralization does not lead to fragmentation or inconsistency in financial practices.

Speaking ahead of the validation session, Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan emphasized the importance of the updated manual as a standardizing tool for county treasury operations.

According to the Minister, the manual will ensure that all counties—regardless of location, capacity, or administrative structure—adhere to uniform procedures in managing public resources.

“The objective is to create a system where financial management practices are consistent, transparent, and accountable across the country,” his remarks suggest.

The need for such a framework has become more pressing with the evolving structure of decentralized governance in Liberia.

When the previous version of the manual was developed more than a decade ago, many of the current institutional arrangements—such as County Service Centers and fully operational County Treasuries—were either limited or non-existent.

Today, however, the landscape has changed.

County-level structures are playing an increasingly important role in service delivery, resource allocation, and development planning, making it essential that they operate within a clearly defined and standardized financial system.

The validation session will therefore serve as a critical checkpoint in the policy process.

Stakeholders will have the opportunity to review the near-final draft of the manual, provide final inputs, and build consensus before its formal adoption and nationwide rollout.

This consultative approach is intended to ensure that the manual is not only technically sound but also practical and responsive to the realities faced by county administrations.

Once validated and adopted, the County Treasury Financial and Operational Manual is expected to play a central role in strengthening fiscal discipline at the local level.

It will provide guidance on budgeting, revenue management, expenditure controls, reporting procedures, and compliance mechanisms—areas that are essential to preventing misuse of funds and ensuring that public resources are used effectively.

For Liberia, where concerns about accountability and transparency have historically shaped public discourse, the successful implementation of such a framework could have far-reaching implications.

Improved financial management at the county level is expected to enhance service delivery, reduce inefficiencies, and build public trust in decentralized governance structures.

It also aligns with broader national development objectives, including promoting equitable resource distribution, strengthening local institutions, and supporting sustainable development outcomes.

The initiative is part of the Government’s wider effort to modernize public financial management systems and ensure that decentralization translates into tangible benefits for citizens across all regions of the country.

For observers, the success of the effort will depend not only on the quality of the manual itself, but on how effectively it is implemented, monitored, and enforced once rolled out.

As Liberia continues to navigate the complexities of decentralization, the validation session marks a critical step in ensuring that financial governance keeps pace with institutional reform.