THE 2024 STATE of Corruption Report (SCORE) of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) reveals that corruption remains a significant impediment to governance and development in Liberia, undermining public trust, economic growth, and equitable access to services. Liberia’s score of 25 out of 100 on Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index—well below the Sub-Saharan Africa regional average of 33—reflects the entrenched nature of public sector corruption and the urgency for bold, collective, and multi-dimensional reforms. Mindful of this state of the deeply troubling state of affairs regarding corruption, President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr. assured Liberians on the day of his inauguration that there would be “no more business as usual” and reiterated his promise to “[rescue] hard times, dysfunction, [the] culture of impunity, and corruption in high and low places”. As part of efforts to fulfill this promise, President Boakai said he would prioritize anti-corruption, rule of law, and good governance under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, the country’s current national development framework.
THE REPORT IDENTIFIES important progress, including the operationalization of the Office of the Ombudsman, the establishment of the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC), the establishment of the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT), the roll-out of the electronic government procurement (e-GP) system in six ministries, and the launch of a Performance and Compliance Management System (PCMS). Preventive compliance audits by the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), expanded audit coverage by the General Auditing Commission (GAC), and automation of tax and customs systems by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) are notable institutional gains. Platforms such as the National Integrity Forum (NIF) and partnerships with civil society and donors have strengthened inter-agency coordination, while digital platforms like CENTAL’s Corruption Case Tracker and the LACC’s TALKAY app have expanded avenues for citizen reporting and engagement.
DESPITE THESE GAINS, Liberia’s anti-corruption efforts face systemic challenges. Weak enforcement, political interference, judicial inefficiencies, and selective action on corruption allegations continue to undermine public trust. Only 472 of 1,900 public officials complied with asset declaration requirements in 2024, and despite repeated ultimatums, enforcement remains minimal. Integrity institutions remain underfunded and understaffed, with delayed disbursements further constraining their operational capacity. Rural populations remain underserved in anti-corruption outreach and access to digital tools.
SURVEY RESULTS REVEAL that 48 percent of citizens perceive government commitment to anti-corruption as low, though this is a notable improvement from 67 percent in 2023. Confidence in the media and religious institutions remains higher than in the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary. Bribery, while still prevalent, declined from 34 percent in 2023 to 26 percent in 2024, with police and medical services continuing to be perceived as most prone to corruption.
TO ADDRESS THESE gaps, the report recommends establishing and adequately funding specialized anti-corruption courts or increasing the number of judges assigned to existing courts. It calls for non-selective enforcement of anti-corruption laws, timely prosecution of cases, full and timely funding for integrity institutions, and protection for whistleblowers and witnesses.
OPERATIONALIZING THE WITNESS Protection Agency provided for by the Witness Protection law of 2021 is recommended. Strengthening civic education, scaling digital reporting tools to rural areas, increasing digital access to public services, and institutionalizing inter-agency coordination will be essential to sustaining progress.
