Monrovia — The Government of Liberia(GoL), through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, renewed its commitment to transforming the country's entrepreneurial landscape at the opening of the 2025 Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprise (MSME) Conference and Trade Fair.
Minister Magdalene Ellen Dagoseh said policy promises without action are finished, and now is the moment for duty.
Speaking at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, outside Monrovia, Dagoseh emphasized that the government's support for Liberian-owned MSMEs will strengthen growth, underscoring that the private sector is the heartbeat of the economy.
The conference runs under the theme: "MSMEs Access to Markets and Finance Through Policy Reforms: The Role of the Government, Development Partners, and the Private Sector Focus on Made-in-Liberia Products."
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"MSMEs are the lifeblood of the Liberian economy," Dagoseh noted, citing that they constitute more than 95 percent of registered businesses and employ a large part of the workforce across all 16 counties.
"For too long, MSMEs have faced limited financing, restricted market access, and excessive bureaucracy. Today, we move from vision to action," she said, outlining a government priority on markets, finance, and opportunities.
Recent gains and ongoing reforms
Dagoseh highlighted tangible outcomes under the Agenda for Inclusive Development (AID), including reforms like the Liberia Investment, Finance, and Trade (LIFT) Program.
She pointed to the UNDP-supported MSME Growth Accelerator Program, which since 2021 has reached 114 MSMEs and agricultural cooperatives nationwide.
"These reforms are not on paper -- they are working, they are delivering results, and they are changing lives," she asserted.
Making doing business easier and expanding reach
The minister outlined modernization efforts to ease the cost and complexity of doing business, including:
Upgrades to the Liberia Business Registry to enhance transparency and speed up business formation.
Growing cross-border market access for Liberian products through Africa-wide digital and logistics frameworks, including AfCFTA, with regional integration now a practical reality for Liberian businesses.
"Liberian products are increasingly competitive beyond our borders," Dagoseh said.
Partnerships and local purchasing
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Dagoseh applauded development partners--the World Bank, African Development Bank, UNDP, and the European Union--for their technical support and catalytic finance.
She urged Liberians to buy Made-in-Liberia products as a form of nation-building, insisting that every successful entrepreneur represents Liberia's collective success.
Challenges and policy calls
Guest speaker Mahmud Johnson, Founder and CEO of J-Palm Liberia, identified persistent hurdles: limited market access, financing gaps, and gaps in policy implementation. He urged concrete reforms, including:
Mandating or incentivizing supermarkets, hotels, and institutional buyers to reserve at least 20% shelf space for Liberian-made products.
Establishing a National Packaging and Quality Infrastructure Program to improve packaging, branding, and standards with support from the Liberia Standards Authority.
Allowing banks to lend to SMEs without collateral via government-backed guarantees.
Creating a national digital marketplace for MSMEs with streamlined export processes.
Strong commitments to market and finance access
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Samuel A. Stevquoah, reinforced the government's pledge to empower Liberian-owned businesses through better access to markets and finance and stronger policies.
"What we are seeing in Liberian entrepreneurship is no accident; it's the result of deliberate policy and sustained support to help Liberian businesses thrive," he said.
