MONROVIA – The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has welcomed the country’s improved performance on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)’s FY2026 scorecard but cautioned that Liberia’s fragile gains could quickly erode without urgent and uncompromising action against corruption, weak governance, and declining national indicators. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at CENTAL’s headquarters in Sinkor, Executive Director Anderson D. Miamen said the government must avoid “dangerous complacency,” warning that the latest scorecard presents both progress and serious red flags that cannot be ignored.
Mr. Miamen praised Liberia for passing 12 of the 22 MCC indicators, including “control of corruption,” fiscal policy, trade policy, land rights, and rule of law, describing the achievement as evidence of “some positive institutional efforts.” However, he reminded the government that a 56 percent score in corruption control is “hardly a victory lap,” adding, “More institutional, legal, and enforcement-driven reforms are required to achieve lasting progress and avoid regression.” He emphasized that impunity remains widespread and that “far more political will and prosecution efforts are needed to hold the corrupt fully accountable.”
While Liberia made gains in several sectors, CENTAL expressed alarm over the country’s failure of 10 major indicators, including civil liberties, government effectiveness, primary education expenditure, natural resource protection, and access to justice. According to Miamen, these failures expose persistent structural weaknesses that threaten long-term development. “We cannot celebrate progress on corruption control while ignoring the sharp declines in public service delivery, education, justice, and environmental governance,” he told reporters.
CENTAL also noted that despite passing corruption control, Liberia recorded declines on various indicators compared to previous years, including fiscal policy, trade policy, and gender in the economy. The organization believes these declines signal deeper governance shortcomings. “These drops show the urgent need for robust, concerted efforts to improve systems and policies that directly impact citizens’ lives,” Miamen stressed. He added that Liberia’s marginal improvement on global corruption indices is encouraging but not yet transformative, as “many high-profile politicians accused of corruption remain untouched.”
In a sharp critique of Liberia’s persistent accountability challenges, CENTAL argued that impunity remains the single biggest obstacle to sustainable governance reform. Miamen pointed to individuals sanctioned by the U.S. Government and those named in multiple GAC audit reports who are still “walking with no investigation, no prosecution, and no consequences.” He insisted that Liberia cannot continue to rely on external pressure while failing internally to enforce accountability.
CENTAL has called for stronger political will, greater support to integrity institutions, and non-discriminatory enforcement against individuals accused of corruption, regardless of political affiliation. The group also renewed its call for the establishment of a specialized anti-corruption court, which Miamen said is essential for “timely, professional, and effective prosecution.” He further urged continuous audits of all branches of government, including the Legislature and Judiciary, noting that accountability must not be selective.
Significantly, CENTAL demanded transparency regarding the controversial alleged US$10 million presidential villa reportedly under construction in President Joseph Boakai’s hometown of Foya. Miamen said the secrecy surrounding the project fuels public distrust and undermines government credibility. “The government must make information about state-funded projects timely available to the public, including the controversial presidential villa. Liberians deserve full clarity,” he stated. He insisted that accountability must apply to both former and current officials.
CENTAL also weighed in on the November 8 indictments of several former officials of the past Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration, praising the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce for its “bold step” toward ending impunity. Miamen, however, cautioned that prosecutions must be transparent, consistent, and free from political bias. “We urge the government to support the Taskforce to fully prosecute those indicted, but we equally call for investigation into suspicious activities in the current administration, including the Foya project,” he said. He argued that balanced accountability is the only path to restoring public confidence.
According to CENTAL, the MCC scorecard, the Corruption Perception Index, and its own State of Corruption Report all show marginal improvements, proving that Liberia can make progress if reforms are sustained. However, Miamen warned that without decisive action, the country risks sliding backward. “We welcome the gains, but they are fragile. The fight against corruption is far from won, and any sense of complacency will reverse our progress,” he asserted.
In closing, CENTAL urged leaders across the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary to aggressively support anti-corruption efforts by fully funding integrity institutions and promoting transparency, especially regarding controversial projects. “Corruption remains Liberia’s biggest enemy and threat to development,” Miamen declared. “The government must act now, and act decisively, to protect the gains made and ensure a transparent, accountable future for all Liberians.”
