By Bill W. Cooper
President Joseph Boakai has mandated all government procuring entities to use the newly launched Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) System platform in an effort to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in public procurement.
Boakai also underscored that the system is a critical step toward curbing corruption in public institutions, thus fostering economic growth through a streamlined, digital procurement process(es).
The President spoke yesterday, February 6, 2025, when he officially launched the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) System, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
The initiative, organized by the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) and partners, brought together several government’s ministries and agencies, including diplomatic missions representatives among others.
The e-GP system, developed with the support of the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), aims to eliminate manual inefficiencies in procurement by allowing government agencies and businesses to engage in a transparent, online-based bidding process.
The system has already been rolled out in six government agencies, as well as enrolled over to 200 businesses, offering a fair, transparent and more competitive platform for public procurement and contracts.
Launching the initiative, President Boakai asserted, “I ask all procuring entities of the Government to henceforth take it as mandatory to make best use of the e-GP System so that we derive maximum benefit from it.”
“Because by doing so, we will be holding firm to our commitment and pledge to Think, Love, and Build Liberia, not just for us but the future generation of this country, and that is the kind of country we wish to leave behind,” he noted.
According to him, his administration remains committed to fighting corruption by upholding public procurement and financial management laws, strengthening integrity institutions, and ensuring that public funds are managed effectively.
He maintained, “We view the launch of this platform as a major milestone in the fight against corruption, because it has stood as a stubborn menace that has for decades rocked the foundation of this nation and dissipated our drive for socio-economic development.”
The President however assured stakeholders of his Government’s commitment to mobilize additional resources to address potential challenges in the system’s implementation, coupled with working with international partners to strengthen Liberia’s procurement reform agenda.
He at the same time tasked the PPCC Executive Director, Bodger Scott-Johnson and Board Chairman, Dr. Ivan Camanor, to ensure full compliance among government agencies and further expand the system to accommodate more businesses.
The President then lauded the private sector’s participation in the process, and noted that the system creates an enabling environment for businesses to compete fairly for government contracts.
He added, “This new development in public procurement is a plus to our deep-rooted ambition to create an enabling environment for competition and growth of the private sector businesses which is the bedrock of our economy.”
Earlier giving the overview of the initiative, PPCC Executive Director, Bodger Scott-Johnson, noted that the e-GP system has undergone extensive development, testing, and a successful pilot phase across six public sector institutions.
He disclosed, “This year, an additional 50 government agencies will be integrated into the system, marking a significant milestone toward restoring confidence in public procurement and ensuring value for money.”
He further explained that by automating procurement processes, the e-GP system will reduce human intervention, minimize corruption risks, and create a more competitive and fair marketplace for vendors and businesses seeking government contracts.
He maintained that the new platform is fully integrated with Liberia’s revenue tax payment portal, operated by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), and the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation’s (NASSCORP) online platform.
“Also, additional integrations are expected later this year with the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), the Liberia Business Registry, and other key payment gateways.
These efforts aim to streamline procurement, improve compliance, and enhance national development initiatives, and to support the rollout, we have provided participating entities with ICT tools, including computers, scanners, and printers, ensuring they have the necessary resources to effectively use the system,” ED Scott-Johnson added.
Meanwhile, Representatives from the World Bank, African Development Bank and other international partners have all lauded the government for the initiative, thus pledging their respective institutions fullest support towards the utilization of the platform.