By: Anthony Q. Jiffan, Jr.
MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and with funding from the World Bank (WB), has officially launched the “Governance Reform & Accountability Transformation (GREAT) Project.”
The initiative aims to improve access to public services, strengthen tax revenue collection, and enhance government transparency.
The US$30 million project, funded under the World Bank’s ID Credit Program, was launched on Thursday, March 20, 2025, by Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, at the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
The project will run until November 30, 2030.
World Bank Country Manager Georgia Wallen congratulated the Government of Liberia on the successful launch of the GREAT Project, and thanked everyone for being at the launch to support the beginning of this flagship Project which is expected to leverage digital solutions and deepen institutional reforms to modernize the public administration and improve government efficiency, ultimately benefiting all Liberians.
She acknowledged the sustained effort, strong ownership, and collaboration from the Government of Liberia that facilitated the preparation of the Project and that has contributed to getting the Project off to a strong start.
The World Bank manager took note that the six-year Project would support the Government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development of achieving greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public institutions, also helping to accelerate efforts to rebuild and transform key institutions while delivering tangible results for the people of Liberia – including those in hard-to-reach areas.
She said the Project will address three key challenges in Liberia – a weak system for delivering administrative services due to low state presence and infrastructure constraints across the country; a strained fiscal outlook due to low domestic resource mobilization, and limited accountability for managing public resources, with uneven service delivery results.
According to her, insufficient revenues undermine the ability of the state to provide services, while taxes are particularly difficult to mobilize in an environment of low accountability.
“These inter-connected challenges need to be addressed simultaneously,” she said. “Express your excitement that the GREAT Project will pilot a new implementation modality that focuses on primarily using civil servants to implement the project and deliver reforms.”
Madam Warren highlighted the modality is a novelty in the World Bank’s portfolio in Liberia and is designed to instill greater government and institutional ownership and responsibility for the project and reforms more broadly, to mainstream project implementation fully into government and institutional structures, and harness existing institutional capacity and strengthen it, as appropriate, to facilitate the delivery of projects.
It is also to build a crop of reform champions in the civil service who can drive Liberia’s growth and development outcomes over the long term, foster stronger coordination among Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions which will also facilitate effective data collection, monitoring and evaluation, knowledge sharing and cross fertilization of ideas among Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions.
She called on all Ministries, Agencies, Commissions and development partners to support the delivery of the project and help to sustain policy dialogue on the reforms, reassure the Government of Liberia that the World Bank will be available to provide the support that is required to facilitate the Government’s successful implementation of the project.
Minister Ngafuan announced that the project will benefit nine key government institutions, including the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), General Auditing Commission (GAC), National Identification Registry (NIR), and the Ministries of Finance, Commerce and Industry, Education, and Health, among others.
“The initiative aims to improve citizens’ digital access to essential government services, streamline tax processes for businesses, and enhance service delivery, accountability, and efficiency within government institutions,” Minister Ngafuan explained.
He also noted that the project will facilitate the expansion of digital public services, increase the availability of services online via the e-Liberia Portal, improve the National Identification System rollout, and integrate government platforms through a shared digital infrastructure at the National
Minister Ngafuan outlined the major components of the project, which include: Enhancing Public Services – US$13 million, Increasing Tax Revenues – US$6.4 million, Strengthening Accountability – US$7.6 million and Capacity Building and Implementation Support – US$3 million.
In addition, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) will oversee the project with support from a Project Implementation Team (PIT), composed of civil servants and technical experts, ensuring the smooth execution of the project.
The PIT will be responsible for implementing, monitoring, and reporting on project progress, strengthening institutional capacity across ministries, and ensuring knowledge transfer to government employees.
Unlike traditional donor-funded projects, GREAT emphasizes long-term sustainability by ensuring that government ownership and civil servant-led implementation drive the reforms. The project is designed to adapt and expand as needed, incorporating additional institutions and reform activities in the future.
Mr. Oyewole Afuye, Acting World Bank Country Manager for Liberia, who deputized for the Bank’s Country Director Georgina Warren, congratulated the Liberian Government on the successful launch of the GREAT Project.
“I acknowledge the sustained effort, strong ownership, and collaboration from the Government of Liberia that facilitated the preparation and strong launch of this project,” Mr. Afuye stated.
He emphasized that the six-year project aligns with the Government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, aiming to achieve greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public institutions.
He also noted that the project will address key challenges in Liberia, such as a weak system for delivering administrative services, a strained fiscal outlook, and limited accountability in managing public resources.
“Insufficient revenues undermine the state’s ability to provide services, and taxes are difficult to mobilize in an environment of low accountability,” Mr. Afuye said. “These inter-connected challenges must be addressed together.”
Additionally, Mr. Afuye expressed excitement about the project’s innovative implementation modality, which prioritizes using civil servants to lead the project and reforms. This approach is designed to enhance government ownership and ensure greater responsibility for the project’s success.
Mr. Afuye concluded by calling on all Ministries, Agencies, Commissions, and development partners to support the project’s delivery and sustain ongoing policy dialogues regarding the reforms. He assured the Government of Liberia that the World Bank would continue to provide the necessary support for the successful implementation of the project.
In a brief statement, Mr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., Director-General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), praised the timing of the GREAT Project, highlighting its alignment with the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. He expressed gratitude to both the Government of Liberia and the World Bank for allowing CSA to play a central role in the project’s implementation.
“This is not just a token role for the CSA. We have a significant part to play in executing this project,” Joekai affirmed. “We are ready to ensure its success and help Liberia advance.”
Comments are closed.