Monrovia, Liberia – Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Liberia Minister of Finance and Development Planning, has made it clear that preventing corruption is essential to Liberia’s success.
In a strong speech, Minister Ngafuan stated, “We must prevent corruption if we are to make progress.”
Minister Ngafuan emphasized the significance of enacting laws and policies targeted at stopping corruption before it starts, even as he acknowledged the work by the courts to prosecute corruption cases.
Although he emphasized that “there should be no opportunity for individuals to steal in the first place,” he stated that he fully supports the prosecution of corruption cases in the courts.
These statements were given by Minister Ngafuan on Thursday during the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system’s formal launch in Monrovia.
The e-GP system was introduced at the occasion, which was attended by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, who also inaugurated the system. This new platform offers a useful tool for companies of all sizes by streamlining processes, cutting expenses, and improving organizational efficiency.
Additionally, Minister Ngafuan called on expenditure agencies to give Liberian-owned companies especially small ones priority as he thinks they are essential to promoting economic expansion.
He cited a new “Fiscal Rule” from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning that requires spending agencies to give a portion of contracts to small enterprises, especially those in the counties, in order to support their expansion and success.
“As we continue with public procurement reforms, we should explore ways to incentivize procurement at the county level with some flexibility while ensuring necessary controls are in place,” Ngafuan added.
Governments employ the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system as a digital platform to expedite and manage the acquisition of products, services, and construction projects.
Electronic solutions that enable online communication between government agencies and vendors take the role of conventional paper-based procurement procedures. This system aims to increase efficiency, transparency, and accountability in public procurement.
