Paynesville, Liberia – The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) have received a wide range of specialized training and capacity building opportunities from Mr. Joel Chiedu Okwuokei, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Resident Representative to Liberia.
The initiative represents a significant step toward strengthening institutional performance and advancing Liberia’s domestic resource mobilization agenda. The revelation was made by Mr. Okwuokei at the LRA headquarters in Paynesville, during a meeting with Commissioner General James Dorbor Jallah and senior management representatives of the Authority.
The IMF Resident Representative formally introduced the Keynes Lab, a newly established high-tech training facility at the IMF office in Liberia, and encouraged LRA officials and staff to take full advantage of the learning opportunities available.
With its state-of-the-art IT infrastructure, fast internet, comfortable workstations, and sophisticated econometric software, the Keynes Lab is equipped to facilitate demanding technical and policy-oriented teaching.
Mr. Okwuokei asserts that improving institutional capacity is crucial to fulfilling changing international norms in macroeconomic management and revenue administration. He stressed that the LRA is essential to Liberia’s path of national development and that increasing operational effectiveness and strategic impact requires ongoing professional growth.
A wide range of macro-fiscal and policy-related topics are covered in the training programs, such as macroeconomics, fiscal policy, monetary policy, exchange rate policy, public finance management, financial sector policies, inclusive growth, digital transformation, and the macro-criticality of climate change. Strengthening revenue performance, policy analysis, and evidence-based decision-making within the LRA are all intimately related to these subject areas.
The proposal was hailed by Commissioner General Jallah, who described it as a transformative opportunity for the Authority. Noting that the project will greatly improve the LRA’s institutional capacity and support Liberia’s Domestic Resource Mobilization strategy, he thanked the IMF for providing access to the training programs.
“This is a very significant opportunity for the LRA,” Commissioner General Jallah stated. “We have consistently invested in capacity building to improve performance and service delivery, and we will take full advantage of this offer. We encourage our staff to expand their knowledge and strengthen their professional competencies.”
In order to guarantee that employees take full advantage of the training opportunities without interfering with essential operations, the Commissioner General further asked department and unit leaders and the Human Resource Management Division to work together efficiently. He underlined the value of organized participation plans that maintain the Authority’s revenue collection performance as staff members pursue professional development and provide consistency in daily tasks.
Additionally, he said that the IMF’s in-country training program will significantly save related expenses while allowing employees to pursue long-term learning with little interference with daily operations. He pointed out that the Authority can use the savings from lower training costs to fund other high-priority areas of its operations. A common commitment to creating strong public institutions that can propel Liberia’s fiscal sustainability and national growth is seen in the LRA and IMF’s increased cooperation.
