GREENVILLE, Sinoe – Operations at the Sinoe County Service Center have been paralyzed because of limited logistical support from the government, according to the administrator of the center.

The opening of the facility in Greenville in 2017 was an initiative of former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, under the government’s decentralization program. County service centers were built across all counties with support from development partners with the objective of ensuring that citizens in all parts of the country could access government agencies without needing to visit Monrovia.

Among the services offered at these facilities are birth registrations, adjudication of labor cases, issuance of work permits, issuance of driver’s licenses, issuance of contractor’s license and permit, registration of new educational facilities, and deed and lease agreements registration.

However, the coordinator of the center in Greenville, Sorbor Wesseh, says the lack of support has undermined the objective of the initiative. This has meant that the center lacks fuel to power its generator, and accessing stationery has been difficult.

Wesseh said other aspects of operating the center called for a reliance on Monrovia that impedes service delivery.

“We also find it difficult [obtaining] signatures for business registrations from [the] Commerce Ministry. It is difficult to get them in time, considering that it has to be sent to Monrovia for signing,” he said.

“We as well find it difficult to get the marriage certificate printed, on ground that we don’t have the software here in the county.”

Sinoe County Service Center coordinator, Sorbor S. Wesseh. Photo: Teahwleh Geeplay

He said because of the limited effectiveness of the facility, residents prefer to travel to Monrovia, where all services can be accessed more easily and quickly, despite the long distance and traveling challenges.

Wesseh said these challenges did not exist when the United Nations Development Programme supported the initiative. However, since the support management responsibility was handed over to the government, he says the effectiveness of the center has declined.

While acknowledging the challenges facing the government, in terms of limited finances, Wesseh called for action to restore full service delivery at the county service.

“With the many challenges we are going through on a daily basis, we are still making efforts to continuously encourage our people to make use of the service center,” he added.

Featured photo by Teahwleh Geeplay