The Plenary of the House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Good Governance and Judiciary to review a proposed Act seeking to amend Chapter 50B of the New Executive Law, Title 12 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised, which established the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE). The decision was taken Thursday, June 4, 2026 during the 8th day sitting of the 2nd Quarter of the 3rd session following the reading of a communication from President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr., submitted to the Legislature for consideration as a bill titled: “An Act to Amend Chapter 50B of the New Executive Law, Title 12 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised, Creating the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE).” In his communication, President Boakai noted that since its establishment, LACE has served as a critical instrument for improving the living standards of underprivileged communities through the provision of basic social services, income-generating infrastructure, and community-driven development initiatives. According to him, emerging national priorities under the ARREST Agenda, coupled with the need for stronger institutional capacity, transparency, and accountability, necessitate amendments to the existing LACE Act. The proposed amendments seek to strengthen governance and institutional capacity through the introduction of new leadership and oversight mechanisms. Key among the proposed reforms is the creation of a third Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Operations to enhance supervision of field projects and donor coordination. The bill also proposes the reconstitution of LACE’s Board of Directors to broaden representation by including a legal professional to strengthen compliance and accountability, as well as representatives from civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and development partners. Additionally, a Board Incentives Policy is being proposed to attract and retain qualified individuals for strategic governance responsibilities. Another major component of the proposed legislation focuses on financial management reforms. The amended Act seeks to centralize funds from State-Owned Enterprises, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions, and concessionaires under LACE for standardized management and transparent reporting. It further recommends predesignating the Finance Director position to align financial operations with modern accountability standards.
The bill also seeks to institutionalize District Development Funds through mandatory annual budgetary allocations, aimed at ensuring predictable grassroots financing and advancing the government’s decentralization agenda.