By Amos Harris
The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has welcomed Liberia’s improved performance on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) 2026 Scorecard but issued a stark warning that the country risks sliding backward unless urgent reforms are implemented.
Speaking at a news conference in Monrovia on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at its headquarters in Sinkor, CENTAL Executive Director Anderson D. Miamen acknowledged Liberia’s passing of 12 out of 20 indicators, including the critical “Control of Corruption” benchmark, which the country has now met for several consecutive years.
However, Miamen stressed that the nation’s 56% overall score represents only marginal progress and conceals troubling signs of regression. “Liberia cannot afford complacency,” he said, noting that while the government has made strides in corruption prevention, impunity remains high and the political will to prosecute high-profile offenders is still inadequate.
The MCC report highlights that Liberia failed 8 crucial indicators, including Civil Liberties, Government Effectiveness, Business Start-Up, Natural Resource Protection, Access to Justice, Child Health, Girls’ Primary Education Completion, and Regulatory Quality.
“These declines are alarming,” Miamen said, “they reveal systemic weaknesses that demand aggressive reforms, not lip service.”
CENTAL also acknowledged incremental gains, noting Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score improvement from 25 in 2023 to 27 in 2024, and its own 2024 State of Corruption Report (SCORE), which showed a drop in public perception of corruption from 90% to 83%. Despite these positive trends, the group warned that failure to prosecute sanctioned officials and politically influential actors continues to undermine Liberia’s anti-corruption drive.
The organization urged the government to:
- Fully fund integrity institutions.
- End selective justice.
- Establish the long-delayed Specialized Corruption Court.
- Conduct regular audits of all government branches.
- Release timely information on public-funded projects.
CENTAL voiced serious concern over the alleged US$10 million presidential villa project in President Joseph Boakai’s hometown of Foya, calling the secrecy surrounding it “deeply troubling.”
The group demanded immediate public disclosure of funding sources, ownership, purpose, scope, and procurement processes, warning that failure to clarify the project could erode public trust and contradict the administration’s anti-corruption rhetoric.
On a positive note, CENTAL welcomed the November 8 indictments issued by the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce against more than 40 former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) officials, including ex-Presidential Protocol Chief Finda Bundoo and former Deputy Minister Thelma Duncan-Sawyer. Charges range from money laundering and theft to economic sabotage and criminal conspiracy.
Calling the indictments “a bold step,” CENTAL urged the government to ensure adequate support for the Taskforce, speedy prosecution, closer collaboration with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), and non-discriminatory investigations.
At the same time, the organization stressed that accountability must also apply to the current administration, including transparent investigations into the Foya presidential villa.
“Liberia cannot defeat corruption with speeches alone,” Miamen concluded. “The government must accelerate reforms, fund integrity institutions, and end the culture of secrecy, especially around questionable projects like the Foya villa. Corruption remains a national emergency, and unchecked impunity continues to cripple Liberia’s development.”