In a bid to promote domestic resources mobilization, the National Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) recently concluded a six-day regional cluster dialogue in Rivercess and Bong counties.
The town hall meetings, which took place in Cestos and Gbarnga over the weekend, brought together over 162 participants from the two counties, including representatives from the chiefs, youth community, internal affairs, elders, as well as the mayor’s office, aimed at promoting the principle of transparency and inclusiveness in the exercise for the enhancement of democracy and good governance as well as to broaden the public discourse on natural resource governance and domestic resource mobilization across the country.
Addressing participants at the town hall meetings in Rivercess and Bong counties, the Director of the National Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (ARPM), Wilfred K. Selmah, said APRM was established in March 2003 by Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGC) of the partnership of African Development (NEPAL), under the integrated Public Financial Management Reform Probe (IPMRP), phase two in collaboration with the project management unit (PFMU) within the ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
However, he noted that the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, Jr., is the focal point of the Liberia program.
Director Selmah said the Domestic Resource Mobilization project funded by the African Development Bank is in line with APRM pillar two, economic and governance management.
According to him, the review of the country’s governance process requires the inputs of everyone. “This will help inform the rest of the world about the challenges of the government,” he stated.
He further emphasized that the importance of the town hall meetings at this time cannot be over-emphasized.
Director Selmah further indicated that the APRM is a mutually agreed-upon instrument member states of the African Union voluntarily have acceded to as part of an African self-monitoring mechanism for measuring performance in governance.
Selmah than applauded the Government of Liberia (GOL) and the APRM leadership for creating an environment where partners and stakeholders can come together and collaborate as one body to improve the governance sector of Liberia.