The Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery Project (AGBSDP) has disbursed US$1,646,875 to fifteen District Councils under the First Round Local Development Grant (LDG) for the Implementation of 29 Sub-Projects across the Country
The Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery Project (AGBSDP) in the Ministry of Finance has on the January 12, 2023 completed the disbursement/transfer of US$1,646,875 to fifteen Local District Councils for the implementation of twenty-nine sub-projects across the country.
These disbursements have been made directly into the beneficiaries’ special accounts targeted for LDG disbursements. Funds transferred constitute 10% of category 2 funds of the AGBSDP and are meant to support Local District Councils for the putting into practice of small-scale capital investment and poverty reduction projects; particularly in relation to infrastructural improvements in accordance with their development plans.
About the AGBSDP and the LDG Scheme, the AGBSDP is a US$ 40 million investment financing grant from the World Bank to the Government of Sierra Leone to be implemented over a 5-6-year period. The project seeks to strengthen governments’ institutional systems and capacity for accountability and management of resources to more effectively deliver basic services in responsive to community needs, across all districts.
The LDG Scheme is anchored under component 2.1 of the AGBSDP and it is designed to support fifteen (15) Local District Councils through annual developments grants. It is guided by a Grants Implementation Manual, managed by a dedicated Grants Management Team and follows a five (5) round incremental phased approach.
Accessing the LDG in each round requires Local Councils to comply with programme-stipulated eligibility requirements that are mainly of institutional, transparency, and accountability nature. LCs’ technical and fiduciary capacity to support the implementation of investment subprojects is assessed on a yearly basis as part of the eligibility criteria to access the funds.
Implementation and Monitoring Unit of Local District Councils will be in charge of executing the sub-projects financed under the Local Development Grant Scheme. The Ministry of Finance will provide oversight to ensure that all sub-grants recipients adhere to the terms of the LDG Sub-Grant agreements, sub-projects are implemented in line with agreed deliverables, timeline and funds are spent in accordance with the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank’s Financial Laws and Regulations, and the MoF/World Bank’s policies and procedures on grant recipient management.
Below is a summary of Round One Local Development Grant disbursement/transfer to 15 District Councils including sub-project and location; Round One Local Development Grant Disbursement/Transfer Summary to 15 District Councils Including Subproject and Location
