–Min. Amin Modad Discloses At MICAT Press Briefing
In the wake of reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, curtailing corruption and addressing revenue leakages, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is nearing completion of the digitization of the Liberia Business Registry (LRA) and the issuance of import permits declaration (IPDs) and export permit declaration (EPDs), in order to streamline the processes and create a smooth business environment in the country.
Making the revelation Thursday, October 3, 2024 at the Ministry of Information press briefing, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Amin Modad, disclosed that the business registration process now takes 3—5 days, significantly dropping from the 1—2 weeks backlog that they met. “When we roll out the digital platform, we expect it to be even more predictable. To curtail the corruption and bureaucratic bottlenecks and address revenue leakages, we are rolling our new business registration certificate featuring anti-fraud security features,” he stated.
Minister Modad pointed out that they have secured funding to digitize the ministry’s services and, like the Business Registration process, they have begun upgrading critical processes, including the issuance of IPDs and EPDs, noting that they prioritized addressing the bureaucratic bottlenecks and corruption that had entrenched the system.
According to him, the ministry will be rolling out the digital platform next week to ensure transparency and improved processing time in the IPD/EPD process.
However, even with the landmark achievement, Minister Modad lamented that one has to be in government, particularly from the inception, to understand how dysfunctional the system they inherited was. “This was not peculiar to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Across government, my colleagues and I have been working assiduously to first understand what we inherited, build the competent team to implement our mandate, and then jumpstart our various institutions despite the financial and structural challenges,” he observed.
He informed the gathering that since he took over the reins at the ministry, he and his team have been working diligently to lay the foundation for a transparent, efficient, and growth-driven ministry.
The commerce minister said, in order to get the mission properly achieved, immediately after assuming office he initiated an internal audit of the ministry’s human resources, payroll, financial transactions, and fixed assets, in order to understand what he inherited and to ensure accountability and transparency. He said he also requested the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct an audit of the ministry’s financial statements from 2017—2023.
Minister Modad disclosed that he has engaged the Civil Service Agency (CSA) to retire and pension employees of the ministry who are over 60 years old, and that they have begun the process of filling critical capacity gaps to ensure efficiency and productivity.
The minister emphasized that their mission is to build a “dynamic capitalistic economy”, led by an innovative and competitive private sector focused on trade and industrial expansion to benefit all Liberians.
He then used the opportunity to outline several success stories and achievements under his watch as minister of commerce, with the major one being the reduction of the price of rice from US$17.00 to US$16.75. He said over the last 9 months, despite global factors, they have stabilized the supply and the prices of rice and other essential commodities, including sugar and petroleum products. “Despite the propaganda detractors continue to spew, we have managed the rice trade strategically—Liberia has not experienced any shortage of rice and prices have remained stable,” he added.
The minister announced that on September 27, 2024 India reduced its 20% tariff on rice by 10%, noting that this will have positive impact on stabilizing the price of rice on the market. “With the leadership of President Joseph N. Boakai, the strategy we employed over the last 9 months worked,” he boasted.
He confidently intoned that they have gone beyond “rice”, and that the focus now is more on food security. “In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Investment Commission (NIC), we are focusing on the diversification of local food production,” he announced.
Minister Modad reassured the public that they are working diligently and focused on establishing a predictable, vibrant, and enabling business environment, and that he remains fully committed to empowering Liberian businesses.
“Coming from the private sector, I know what it means and I understand the challenges Liberian entrepreneurs face. I remain committed to ensuring that Liberians take charge of the economy.
“I must emphasize here that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry under me will not be intimidated into corrupt practices or swayed by false accusations. The enemies of change, for whom the very existence of this administration came into being, is threatened by the changes we are implementing. They will stop at nothing but to impinge the reputation of most who remain true.
He maintained that his focus is on excellence and creating the right outcomes that will transform the economy for the benefit of all Liberians. “We remain committed to international best practices, the rule of law, and, most importantly, to serving the Liberian people with integrity,” he continued.
“I came to this office with an impeccable reputation. Since becoming Minister, I have been clear about my commitment to doing the right thing for Liberia. I will continue to pursue this mission, undeterred by those who seek to maintain the status quo. We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history, and we owe it to every Liberian to ensure that our trade and commerce sectors are managed transparently and effectively,” Commerce Minister Modad maintained.