The African Union in collaboration with the Tax Justice Network Africa and the African Tax Administration Forum has begun a three-day deliberation in Monrovia to assess Liberia's progress and challenges in combating illicit financial flows.
The dialogue, hosted by Integrity Watch Liberia, brings together policymakers, civil society actors, AU officials, and integrity institutions from across the country.
Delivering the keynote speech, Richard Ngafuah, Director General of the Liberia Institute for Geo-Information Services , stressed the need for statistics-driven approaches in tackling illicit financial flows.
"We must use statistics in combating illicit financial flows in Liberia," Ngafuah said. "With proper data, we can track illicit finances, identify their sources, and determine their final destinations."
For his part, Emmanuel Eze, Senior Advisor to the African Tax Administration Forum, underscored the importance of the Anti-Illicit Financial Flows Policy Tracker, describing it as a vital self-assessment tool for African governments.
"The Policy Tracker is designed to help countries evaluate their own responses to illicit financial flows," Eze explained. "It provides a clear picture of where progress is being made and where more work is needed."
He further noted that the Monrovia deliberation will focus on four thematic areas.
"Our discussions center on policy and legislative frameworks, institutional frameworks, information and data systems, and inter-agency cooperation," Eze said.
The three-day event is expected to strengthen Liberia's ability to combat illicit financial flows while improving transparency and accountability in financial governance.
