CG Jallah Calls for Holistic Partnership In Decentralizing Governance
Monrovia, Liberia – In Margibi and Grand Bassa Counties, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has registered and documented at least 20,000 real properties as part of its ongoing real estate decentralization project.
LRA Commissioner General James Dorbor Jallah declared that 12,000 properties in Margibi County and 9,000 in Grand Bassa County are now subject to taxes as a result of the project, which is funded by the Swedish government and a number of other partners.
The Local Government Act of 2018 and the Revenue Sharing Act of 2022 are being implemented in large part thanks to this initiative. In order to assist regional development and the extension of public services, these important pieces of law seek to encourage inclusive revenue mobilization.
The federal government will distribute the money it receives from registered properties to local governments in accordance with the regulations, which require that real estate taxes in the counties be distributed equally to local authorities.
At a recent meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization, which President Joseph N. Boakai attended, Commissioner General Jallah gave an update on the initiative. A number of representatives from the government and development organizations were in attendance, and they were all in favor of the complete decentralization of development and public services.
In order to achieve comprehensive decentralization of governance, the LRA Commissioner General emphasized that effective collaboration amongst all government stakeholders is vital. In order to ensure that decentralization is successful, he underlined the significance of educating taxpayers, advancing technology, and fostering local ability.
“Decentralization is feasible, but it takes a comprehensive partnership and teamwork to make it happen,” Commissioner General Jallah declared.
In order to enable counties, cities, townships, and boroughs to impose their own taxes, he also emphasized the necessity of forming partnerships to find local revenue sources. The objective of this endeavor is to bolster and fund local administrations. The establishment of revenue-sharing mechanisms, enforcement of registration and payment compliance, and the creation of a database for real estate identification are crucial steps.
The LRA decentralization initiative, which is still in its experimental stage, was started in Margibi in 2021 and later expanded to Grand Bassa in 2023. It offers citizens, particularly young people, employment and contract opportunities.
When a property is registered, its owner enters the tax system and receives a tax identification number, enabling them to pay real property taxes. The project’s main objective is to promote revenue development by decentralizing real property tax administration and collection.
