Liberia: Liberia, UN-Habitat Unveil New National Urban Policy

 

 

The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its partner UN-Habitat, has unveiled a new National Urban Policy (NUP) aimed at promoting sustainable urban development and shifting from the regular way of development in Liberia, despite the many challenges facing the country.

Assistant Internal Affairs Minister for Urban Affairs, Abubakar Bah, said the new policy serves as a stimulus for urban development across Liberia and involves all stakeholders.

“This policy is for everyone, including mayors, superintendents, the disabled community, and everyone else. We are hopeful that the government will remain committed to ensuring that the policy is implemented even after President George M. Weah’s administration,” Bah said.

He indicated that stakeholders should not make the urbanization policy a Monrovia and Paynesville thing because other cities in the country also need financial support to ensure that there is an urbanization plan for sustainable urban development.

The minister said the coming into effect of the National Revenue-Sharing Act and the identification of other sources of revenue will ensure that every city is developed while underscoring that the urban sector faces lots of challenges that are somewhat difficult to mitigate; as such, the urban policy forum is intended to promote sustainable urban development in Liberia.

The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Commissioner for Domestic Tax, Darington Y. Talery, called for a program that will ensure more revenue is generated to support the government’s programs and plans.

Talery said if the government cannot raise the needed revenue to support national urban policy implementation, it would not be implemented as raising revenue is the only way for Liberia’s development.

Talery said other countries are developing because of citizens’ commitment to paying taxes, including real estate taxes, which helps to raise good revenue for the government. He stated, “If everyone in Margibi decides to pay just US$25.00 annually, Margibi will be developed because the government will use the same money to undertake development.”

“We can develop all the plans and if we do not have money to support them, we will just continue to plan and will not achieve or have development. No Liberian wants to pay tax and it is not good for us because without paying our taxes, we will still be discussing development after many years, while other countries are far ahead of us,” he indicated.

Deputy Internal Affairs Minister for Administration, Momolu Johnson, who gave a special statement on behalf of the Internal Affairs Minister, Varney A. Sirleaf, said the importance of developing a national urban policy for Liberia is to first evaluate the current urbanization opportunities and challenges, and afterward formulate long- and short-term solutions to leverage on opportunities and mitigate possible challenges for a better and prosperous future.

Johnson said the government is exerting efforts in providing the best opportunity for achieving resilient and sustainable urbanization by linking sectoral policies and connecting national, regional, and local government policies, strengthening urban, peri-urban, and rural links through integrated territorial development.

He reminded mayors attending the forum that in 2022 Liberia’s urban population comprised 53.1% of the country’s total population of approximately 5.2 million. He said as of 2015 the urban population was estimated to be 50% of the country’s total population, with an annual urban population growth rate of 4.7%. He said the capital city, Monrovia, grew to more than 1.6 million people in 2022 and now comprises more than 40% of Liberia’s urban population in the greater Monrovia area.

Bindu Taylor-Brewer, UN Habitat consultant, said the new urban policy looks at infrastructure and other key issues for Liberia’s development.

The event held at the Monrovia City Hall on Thursday, May 4, also aimed at shedding light on the progress made thus far in the formation of a National Urban Policy (NUP) for Liberia, which started in 2016, and at the same time highlighted the challenges that the urban sector is faced with.

The daylong event brought together various stakeholders and partners in the urban sector, including the Council of Mayors, superintendents, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), Engineering Society of Liberia, Liberia Land Authority, Liberia Institute of Architect, Ministry of Public Works and Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.

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