MONROVIA — Liberia's top anti-corruption watchdog warns the government not to mistake symbolic wins for real progress, urging President Joseph Boakai's administration to take bold, structural steps after the country's latest performance on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) scorecard showed gains in key areas but concerning drops in others.
The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) stated that Liberia's 56 percent score on the MCC's important "control of corruption" indicator is a positive development, but not a victory. Executive Director Anderson D. Miamen noted that although the score is a pass, it highlights an urgent need for strong political will, enforcement, and legal reforms to combat deep-rooted corruption.
"The score of 56 percent shows that more institutional, legal, and enforcement-driven reforms are required to achieve lasting progress and avoid regression," Miamen told reporters at a press conference in Monrovia on Tuesday. "Liberia cannot continue to rely on symbolic wins. Impunity remains very high."
The MCC, an independent U.S. government agency, released its fiscal year 2026 scorecards on November 12. Liberia passed 12 of 22 indicators, including corruption control, fiscal policy, inflation, gender in the economy, land rights, rule of law, political rights, and trade policy.
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Progress, but Gains Are Fragile
CENTAL praised the administration for maintaining momentum on key indicators but warned that Liberia's performance remains inconsistent. Miamen noted that although the country showed improvements on some governance indexes, others declined significantly. Liberia's corruption score slightly decreased from 59 in 2024 to 57 in 2025. The fiscal policy score declined from 51 to 41, while the trade policy score sharply fell from 63 to 21.
"These drops signify the need for robust efforts by government actors to improve systems and policies that directly affect the lives of citizens," Miamen said.
He noted that Liberia failed several key indicators essential to human development, including civil liberties, natural resource protection, primary education spending, government effectiveness, employment opportunities, girls' education completion, child health, and access to justice.
The organization recognized improvements shown in the latest Transparency International Corruption Perception Index and its own State of Corruption Report, which recorded a decline in the percentage of Liberians who believe corruption is widespread--from 90 percent in 2023 to 83 percent in 2024. Despite these improvements, Miamen said, political accountability still remains weak.
'Impunity Remains High'
CENTAL emphasized the longstanding pattern of inaction against officials implicated in audits, sanctioned by the U.S. government, or accused of misusing public funds.
"Impunity for corruption remains very high," Miamen said. "The government must show equal commitment in holding accountable those in the current administration and those from past governments."
He urged the administration to increase funding for integrity institutions, enforce anti-corruption laws without political interference, and ensure that civil society organizations play a meaningful role in reforms.
CENTAL renewed its call for the establishment of a specialized anti-corruption court and regular audits of all branches of government, including the Legislature and Judiciary -- two institutions that historically have operated with little scrutiny.
Demands Transparency on Foya 'Presidential Villa' Project
CENTAL pressed the government to publish full details about the controversial alleged US$10 million "presidential villa" project reportedly under construction in President Boakai's hometown of Foya, Lofa County. The government has released limited information, prompting public speculation about funding sources and ownership.
"The government must make information about projects funded by state resources timely available to the public," Miamen said. "An independent investigation will promote transparency and help allay public concerns about the nature, scope, and intent of the project."
Backs Indictments in Major Corruption Probe
The organization also welcomed the November 8 indictments announced by the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce, which targeted several former officials of the Coalition for Democratic Change government, including former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Finda Bundoo and former Deputy Foreign Minister Thelma Duncan-Sawyer.
The charges, CENTAL noted, range from theft of property and money laundering to misuse of public funds, economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy, and violations of procurement laws.
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"We commend the Asset Recovery Taskforce for the bold step aimed at holding past leaders accountable for their stewardship," Miamen said, calling on the government to fully support investigators and ensure cases move swiftly.
He insisted that the anti-corruption fight must be impartial, urging equal scrutiny of current officials and politically sensitive projects.
CENTAL's Final Word
Miamen concluded that Liberia's fight against corruption will only succeed if all government branches show sustained political will, especially by funding integrity institutions, enforcing existing laws, and committing to transparency.
"This will empower the country to robustly tackle and defeat corruption, Liberia's worst enemy and greatest threat to development," he said. "We also call for greater transparency around the Foya project, which remains marred by secrecy."
With Liberia facing both encouraging improvements and worrying declines on its governance scorecard, CENTAL says the country is at a crossroads, one that will require more than speeches, promises, or scorecard passes to overcome.
