Claim: The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment ( LACE ) demands 10% of legislative project money for administrative use.
Source: Lofa County District #3 Representative Momoh Siafa Kpoto.
Verdict: True, LACE demand accordingly is part of the appropriation.
Full Text: In a radio station interview, Lofa County District #3 Representative, Momoh Siafa Kpoto, said the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) demands 10% of the legislative project money for administrative use.
According to him, LACE is a government entity, so they cannot demand 10% of legislative project funds intended for the people in their respective electoral districts.
Kpoto said LACE, as a government entity, pays employees monthly, receives gasoline to monitor legislative projects, and staff receives traveling compensation; therefore, they are not to demand such an amount of money from legislative projects.
LACE was established by the Community Empowerment Act under Chapter 50B of Title 12 of the Liberian Code of Laws on July 22, 2004.
The objectives of the agency are to improve the living standards of poor communities through the provision and strengthening of basic social services and to promote a community-based approach in sub-project identification, preparation, implementation, administration, and maintenance.
The agency finances sub-projects of poor communities and disburses to those communities funds provided for them in support of poverty reduction.
The agency does not implement community sub-projects but cooperates with communities or other implementing bodies; it assists community-based organizations (CBOs) in developing their technical and managerial capabilities in all aspects of sub-project activities.
Verification: To verify the information by Kpoto, The Stage Media (TSM) interviewed current Representatives and a Senator.
Momoh Cyrus, senator of Lofa County, confirmed that LACE is collecting 10% from legislative project money.
Cyrus said of the 10% that LACE is collecting from legislative project money, 7% goes to LACE for project monitoring, and 3% goes to legislative staff for monitoring activities.
Another lawmaker, Gizzie Collins, Lofa County District No. 4 representative, also confirmed the same information by Kpoto.
Julius Sele, Director of LACE, when contacted, said the 10% request is always stipulated in the contract/agreement and is part of appropriation.
“LACE always asked for 10%; whether it is a lawmaker project or donor project, the amount requested is a standard set-aside appropriation that all must abide by,” Sele said.
Former Deputy Executive Director of LACE, Joseph Tye, who served in 2018, disclosed that the 10% is a standard charge by the institution.
“The 10% is mandatory and it is used for operational costs as part of LACE operational procedures and not a law.”
Conclusion: Kpoto information about LACE collecting 10% for legislative projects is correct. However, the money collected is not illegal but a standard charge by the institution for administrative costs.
Written by Mason Kollie, Grant Fellow
