Liberia’s OGP Chair Highlights Effective Use Of IFMIS To Tackle Corruption In Liberia
The Chairperson of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Liberia’s Chapter, Johnny S. Tarkpah has recommended the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) as an effective module that can help the Government of Liberia minimize corruption.
The Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) and also Chairperson of the integrity group in Liberia argued that the system, when utilized, will help synchronize procurement processes which will subsequently help cut down corruption in the public as well as the private sectors of the country.
Also, Minister Tarkpah stressed the need for Inter-agency collaboration among government actors on how the government can manage beneficial ownership and public contracting by the Liberia registry and the Public Procurement and Concession Act.
Speaking as a panelist during an OGP conference held in Nairobi, Kenya on March 26, 2025, Tarkpah asserted that the Government of Liberia has committed itself to the implementation of the OGP 5TH National Action Plan which was successfully submitted in December 2024, and officially launched on February 26, 2025.
Minister Tarkpah explained that the National Action Plan is an ambitious national plan drafted by all OGP Member States every two years and presenting what the country will do regarding good governance, accountability and the fight against corruption.
However, he lamented that the country missed out on the implementation of the National Action Plan in 2023.
On the sidelines of the conference, Minister Tarkpah who headed the OGP delegation to Kenya unearthed that the Agence Française de Dévelopement (AFD) had a donor meeting with the delegation and expressed interest in working with Liberia on issues of good governance and accountability.
The MICAT official disclosed that said discussion will continue in the country in the coming weeks, as the OGP Liberia’s chapter looks forward to a team from the AFD in Liberia.
In a related development, Tarkpah revealed that the Liberian delegation to the OGP Conference in Kenya held a bilateral meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the Open Government Partnership Mr. Aidan Eyakuze, citing that various issues were discussed, ranging from accountability, transparency, good governance and Civil Society Organization’s participation in the governance process, and how OGP can support Liberia through other multinational organizations.
Meanwhile, Minister Tarkpah revealed that the OGP CEO thanked the President of Liberia for being the first sitting President of Liberia to sign the Foreword of the National Action Plan.
Tarkpah added that the OGP CEO extended an invitation To President Joseph Nyuma. Boakai for the Global Summit of the institution which is scheduled to be held in Spain, this year.
The OGP Conference was hosted by President William Ruto of Kenya, from March 25-27, 2025, held under the theme “Tackling Corruption Through Data; Lessons from Open Contracting, EGP, and Beneficial Ownership” was attended by several countries from Africa and the Middle East.
Liberia joined the OGP- OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP during the regime of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2011, making Liberia a founding member of the institution.
