By: Julius Konton
Liberia has taken center stage in the regional fight against corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing as Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan officially opened a high-level regional workshop organized by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) to review and validate a new guidebook aimed at integrating Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (CFT) measures into public procurement systems.
The workshop, which brought together procurement specialists, financial intelligence experts, auditors, anti-corruption agencies, policymakers, and development partners from across West Africa, seeks to strengthen governance mechanisms in one of the most vulnerable sectors of public financial management.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Monrovia, Minister Ngafuan emphasized that public procurement remains one of the most powerful tools governments use to deliver development, provide essential services, construct infrastructure, and improve the lives of citizens.
“Public procurement is among the largest channels through which public resources are allocated and spent,” Ngafuan said. “The integrity of procurement is inseparable from public trust, good governance, fiscal discipline, and sustainable national development.”
Procurement and Corruption Risks
Globally, public procurement accounts for an estimated 12–20 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and nearly one-third of government expenditures, according to international development institutions. However, experts estimate that corruption and fraud can divert billions of dollars annually from public projects intended to benefit citizens.
Minister Ngafuan warned that procurement systems, if inadequately protected, can become breeding grounds for corruption and financial crimes.
He highlighted common procurement-related abuses, including bid-rigging, conflicts of interest, over-invoicing, falsified documentation, misuse of shell companies, opaque ownership structures, and fraudulent contract awards.
“These vulnerabilities create fertile ground for laundering illicit proceeds,” he noted.
“In some instances, procurement processes can even be exploited to channel resources for terrorist financing or support organized criminal networks.”
According to Ngafuan, such practices undermine public institutions, weaken financial management systems, erode value for money, and ultimately deprive citizens of quality public services.
“When procurement systems are compromised, schools, hospitals, roads, security services, and other essential public goods suffer,” he stressed.
GIABA’s New Procurement Guidebook
The regional workshop focuses on reviewing and validating GIABA’s newly developed Procurement Guidebook, which is designed to help member states integrate AML and CFT safeguards into public procurement frameworks.
The guidebook provides practical tools and policy recommendations for governments seeking to strengthen procurement integrity and prevent financial crimes.
According to Minister Ngafuan, the document serves as a comprehensive reference for policymakers, procurement authorities, auditors, financial intelligence units (FIUs), law enforcement agencies, and oversight institutions.
The guidebook promotes:
Enhanced risk assessments;
Beneficial ownership transparency;
Improved due diligence procedures;
Detection of procurement red flags;
Stronger reporting mechanisms;
Asset recovery measures;
Inter-agency cooperation;
Alignment with international standards and best practices.
He described the workshop as more than a validation exercise.
“This is an opportunity for collective reflection, technical scrutiny, and regional ownership,” Ngafuan told delegates.
“The quality of our deliberations will determine the strength and usefulness of the final guidebook.”
Regional Cooperation Key to Success
The Liberian Finance Minister emphasized that combating corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing requires coordinated action across national institutions and international borders.
“No single institution can address these risks alone,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among procurement authorities, financial intelligence units, anti-corruption agencies, law enforcement bodies, ministries of finance, parliamentarians, and private-sector stakeholders.
The workshop comes at a time when West
African governments are facing growing pressure to improve public financial accountability amid rising development needs and constrained fiscal resources.
GIABA, a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has played a leading role in supporting member states to strengthen anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks throughout the region.
Ngafuan commended the organization for its continued leadership and technical support.
Liberia’s Procurement Reforms Gain Momentum
The Finance Minister also used the occasion to highlight ongoing procurement reforms being undertaken by the Liberian government.
Central among these reforms is the introduction of an electronic procurement (e-Procurement) platform aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and accountability in public contracting.
According to Ngafuan, the government launched the platform last year, initially involving five major spending institutions, including the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, as well as key ministries in the health and education sectors.
This year, approximately 50 additional government entities are expected to be integrated into the system.
The initiative represents one of Liberia’s most ambitious public financial management reforms in recent years.
“We are transforming the procurement process through digitalization,” Ngafuan said.
“Transparency is important, but transparency alone is not enough. We must also ensure competition and inclusiveness.”
He acknowledged that transitioning from traditional procurement systems to digital platforms has not been without challenges.
Some businesses, particularly smaller enterprises, have struggled to adapt to the new procedures, resulting in concerns about reduced competition in certain bidding processes.
“Some stakeholders are still learning the system and are not yet comfortable competing through the platform,” he explained.
“We must work to calm those concerns and ensure that transparency does not inadvertently reduce participation.”
The government, he said, is working closely with the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) to address implementation challenges and ensure that small and medium-sized Liberian businesses are not left behind.
Protecting Public Revenue
Ngafuan emphasized that effective procurement is essential not only for spending public funds responsibly but also for protecting government revenue.
“It is one thing to raise revenue; it is another thing to protect the revenue that has been raised,” he said.
“If procurement is done properly, the resources collected from taxpayers will be used to achieve the development objectives outlined in our national budget.”
He warned that overpricing, contract manipulation, and procurement inefficiencies effectively rob citizens of development opportunities.
“It is unfair for government to pay double for anything. When that happens, we have wronged the poor and shortchanged the country.”
Tribute to a Regional Leader
During the ceremony, Minister Ngafuan paid special tribute to Edwin Harris, recognizing his contributions during four years of service with GIABA.
“You flew the Liberian flag high while representing Liberia, ECOWAS, and Africa,” Ngafuan remarked.
“On behalf of the President and the Liberian people, we thank you for your dedicated service.”
Liberia Emerging as a Regional Conference Hub
The minister also welcomed the decision to host the regional event in Liberia, describing it as evidence of the country’s growing role as a destination for international conferences and policy dialogues.
“Too many good things are happening in Liberia quietly,” he said.
“The fact that Liberia is increasingly hosting regional conferences and workshops speaks volumes about the confidence the international community is placing in our country.”
As deliberations continue, participants are expected to review the technical content of the guidebook, assess its practical applicability across different national contexts, and propose recommendations for its final adoption.
Observers say the initiative could become a significant milestone in strengthening procurement governance across West Africa, particularly as governments seek to safeguard public resources, improve service delivery, and combat increasingly sophisticated financial crimes.
For Liberia, the workshop reinforces the government’s broader commitment to transparency, accountability, and public sector reform at a time when efficient management of limited public resources remains critical to achieving sustainable economic growth and development.
