The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Amin Modad, has completed the first phase of his nationwide business climate assessment tour with a visit to the Bo Waterside border, Grand Cape Mount County.
The tour, which has seen the Minister visiting Margibi, Bong and Nimba counties, is a core part of his reform strategies to evaluate market conditions locally and explore pathways for economic growth while identifying structural and capacity gaps within the ministry’s county-based workforce.
Minister Modad noted that the tour has been an opportunity for him and his team to come to terms with the current business dynamics in each county and formulate policies in response to each county’s needs, thereby expanding economic activities outside of Montserrado County.
“The tour allowed us to identify challenges and opportunities in real-time, enabling us to streamline processes and ensure that the Ministry’s policies and reforms directly address the realities on the ground in each county,” Minister Modad said in a press release. “We are committed to designing interventions that will make it easier for the economy in each county to grow, in fulfillment of the President’s ARREST agenda, which core objective is about the socio-economic empowerment of the Liberian people.”
Minister Modad also noted that he and his team at the Ministry of Commerce remain committed to addressing the challenges identified during the tour, including gaps in workforce capacity and the need to streamline business registration and trade processes.
“Our goal is to foster an environment where businesses can thrive, free from unnecessary delays and corruption,” Minister Modad added.
The Minister’s visit to Bo Waterside comes on the heels of the announcement of several critical reforms that will, once and for all, address the bureaucratic bottlenecks that have made the country’s business climate difficult to navigate.
Key among these reforms is the digitalization of services at the Liberia Business Registry and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. This reform, when completed, will mark the first time the business registration application process and that of import and export permit declarations are fully digital, removing the cumbersome paper-based process.
Minister Modad noted that the reform is a core component of President Joseph Boakai administration’s goals to foster economic opportunities and promote inclusive growth, while building an enabling business environment across Liberia, among other benefits.
Other components of the reform include the issuance of a new business registration certificate featuring anti-fraud security features, which will help curtail corruption, eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, and address revenue leakages.
While the Ministry of Commerce is reforming the country’s business climate, it has also resurveyed the Monrovia Industrial Park and is now “reclaiming plots of land to purposely reallocate to Liberian enterprises” as a means of expanding access to key production activities, while ensuring that Liberians take charge of the nascent agro-food processing industry.
Additionally, the Ministry of Commerce has secured funding through UNIDO to refurbish the Standard Lab, which, when upgraded, will enhance Liberia’s trade competitiveness through the certification of goods and services.
Meanwhile, Minister Modad has met with Angie Howard, the CEO of Falama Inc., an agro-food processing company based in Bomi County. The Minister’s visit was intended for him and his principal deputies to understand the challenges faced by Falama and discuss ways the Ministry could assist in alleviating some of the constraints that have hindered the company from operating at full capacity.
Falama Inc. processes cassava and plantain into various food products, contributing to value addition in Liberia’s agriculture sector.
“We are encouraged by the Minister’s visit and look forward to the Ministry’s support in helping us reach our full production potential,” said Howard. “Falama Inc. is committed to creating jobs and contributing to Liberia’s food security, and with the right support, we can expand our impact even further.”
As the first phase of the business climate assessment tour concludes, Minister Modad has reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to addressing the issues identified and ensuring that Liberia’s business climate is positioned for growth and sustainability.
Minister Modad was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Wilmot A. Reeves, Deputy Minister for Commerce; Hon Benedict A. Dolo, Deputy Minister for Small Business Administration; Andrew Paygar-Flangiah, Deputy Minister for Industry; Alphonso Belleh, Chief of Office Staff; Lawrence Johnson, Deputy Inspector General; and Diana Brown, Supervisor, Liberia Business Registry.