Non-State Actors Secretariat Gives 25 Laptops to CSOs
The Non-State Actor (NSA) Secretariat at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has donated 25 laptops to some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in the country’s Public Financial Management.
The donation, made on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, is part of an ongoing process aimed at strengthening the capacity of CSOs as they serve as critical watchdogs in ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of public resources across Liberia.
Deputy Finance Minister for Administration, Rebecca Y. McGill, who presented the laptops on behalf of the ministry, underscored the importance of training people, and giving them the necessary tools to effectively carry out their responsibilities.
“You cannot train people and not give them tools to work with, especially when you are talking about building capacity,” Madam McGill said.
She noted that the Government has recognized the roles and contributions of CSOs in ensuring transparency and citizens’ participation in fiscal management.
She added that CSOs across the country have helped government in terms of budget dissemination, monitoring of public services, facilitating community debates on budgetary issues, as well as holding public officials and service providers accountable.
McGill expressed appreciation to the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) for their continuous support to the Liberian government, especially the MFDP through the Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project, II.
Vee-Musa Fofana, Coordinator of the Reforms Coordination Unit, said goal of the Unit is to coordinate broader PFM reforms across government and look forward to working with the NSA Secretariat to ensure that the civic space provided through the NSA is further strengthened.
Momo K. Lombeh, Deputy Project Manager, said working with the NSA has been a success story over the years. He stated that the donation will help CSOs in the production of reports and the analysis of data collected from the field.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the executive directors of the two organizations, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to MFDP and the NAS Secretariat, with promises to use the laptops for the intended purpose.
The laptops were provided by the NSA Secretariat, under the Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project, with support from the AfDB and the World Bank.
Gloss