At GREAT Project Launch:Finance Minister Ngafuan Urges Reprogramming of Projects Amid USAID Aid Cut to Boost Liberia's Progress

Monrovia, Liberia - Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has emphasized the urgent need to reprogram and redirect certain projects that are not yielding the desired returns, particularly in light of the recent reduction in USAID aid.

“We are facing a significant shock due to the USAID aid cut, and immediate measures are being taken to mitigate its impact,” Minister Ngafuan stated.

Speaking at the launch of the Governance Reform and Accountability Transformation (GREAT) Project, supported by the World Bank, on Thursday at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, Minister Ngafuan reiterated that discussions will soon be held with partners to reallocate resources to critical sectors impacted by the aid reduction.

He acknowledged the situation, noting that hard conversations are underway across the government to address the ongoing challenges. “Many Liberians have lost their jobs, interventions to vital sectors have been reduced, and it is essential for us to implement critical measures,” he emphasized.
Ngafuan further revealed that the government, alongside its partners, will convene in April for a roundtable discussion to address the emerging challenges and explore solutions that ensure the uninterrupted implementation of the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.

He reassured Liberians that the government remains committed to delivering on its agenda, which was launched in January this year.

Minister Ngafuan described the launch of the GREAT Project as a “significant opportunity” for Liberia’s continued progress.

He explained that the project would focus on expanding digital public services, increasing tax revenues, strengthening accountability and transparency, and enhancing capacity building and implementation support.

For his part, Acting World Bank Country Manager Oyewole Afuye congratulated the government for the successful launch of the GREAT project which is expected to “leverage digital solutions and deepen institutional reforms to modernize the public administration and improve government efficiency, ultimately benefitting all Liberians.”

He noted that the six year project will support the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development in achieving great transparency, accountability, and efficiency.

He outlined that the project will address three key challenges- 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.

The World Bank Acting Country Manager calls on all ministries agencies and commissions and development partners to support the delivery of the project and help to sustain policy dialogue on the reforms.
The GREAT Project, a $30 million initiative funded by the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank, aims to leverage technology and institutional reforms to modernize public administration and improve government efficiency, benefiting all Liberians. Approved on June 12, 2024, the project will be implemented through November 30, 2030.

Key government institutions set to benefit from the GREAT Project include the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MoPT), Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), National Identification Registry (NIR), General Auditing Commission (GAC), Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), and Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), among others.