Liberia: Pres. Weah, ‘Increase Accountability, Transparency in Government’

President George Manneh Weah has cautioned his cabinet ministers, directors, and the rest of his administration to increase accountability and transparency in the government as they move toward elections in 2023.

In his opening address to mark the opening of the cabinet retreat, he thanked the cabinet ministers for their active participation in the governance of the nation. 

“While I commend your hard work and dedication to duty, it is noteworthy that a lot remains to be done to bring our nation to the promised land, as enshrined in the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD), our national development plan,” he said. 

Weah outlined what he described as a “carefully selected set of priorities” for consideration during this retreat, including the PAPD’s performance, the outlook of the national economy, the management and coordination of foreign aid, and the review of the 2022 Legislative Agenda.

Others include increasing accountability and transparency in government, ensuring a culture of performance and delivery of results, improving coordination and teamwork in government, and a review of presidential priorities for the next 16 months.

“Over the last four years of this Administration, we have made great strides in the implementation of development projects across the country. It is therefore imperative to review the status of these projects, to ensure that they are fully aligned with our goals and intentions to take our country to its desired destination,” he said.

The is expected to tour Nimba — a Presidential Development Tour, as part of the retreat activities — to inspect key development projects and initiatives in Nimba County.

“I expect that all of you participants will actively engage in this retreat, as we are now entering a crucial period for this Administration.  In October 2023, just 16 months from now, the Liberian people will have the constitutional opportunity to reward us for the results we are achieving. It is therefore imperative that all hands are on deck with a full commitment to ensure that we get a resounding victory,” he said. 

Weah then used the occasion to inform about the significance of the several international trips, which he described as the results of his persistent engagement with ECOWAS leaders to ensure stability, democracy, and peace in the sub-region.

He explained that peace without prosperity is an unfinished agenda, adding, “this is why, last Thursday, I attended the African Summit of the International Development Association of the World Bank in Dakar, Senegal, along with 22 heads of states of government.”

“I command your active participation in the Performance Management and Compliance System, which requires all Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions to develop a comprehensive, critical, and analytical report of policies and programs that are under their direction, with particular emphasis on those that have been instituted during the period of our stewardship,” he said.

“You are also expected to develop Service Delivery Charts for your institutions, to provide clarity to the public of the high-quality services we are providing. It is also of critical importance that you develop Institutional Strategic Plans that are well-aligned with the national development agenda, the PAPD,” he cautioned them.

The opening of the retreat addressed some cardinal governmental agenda points, including the administration of the PAPD performance, budget and expenditures, revenue performance and mobilization strategies, as well as the status of financial and monetary policies, among others.

The issue surrounding accountability and transparency in government was highly discussed, where four of the actors, including the GAC, LACC, the IAA, and the PPCC were asked to make 10 min deliberations each. 

This retreat is held under the theme; ‘Pushing Forward for Better’, with the key idea of seeing Liberia become better than how this administration met it. 

“The key thing in this retreat is looking at what the government has done in the past four years and how to do better,” Weah added.