Monrovia – The Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) on Thursday, September 25, 2025 marked its 20th anniversary with renewed calls for transparency, accountability, and digital innovation in Liberia’s public procurement system.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
Speaking as keynote speaker at the ceremony, the Minister of State-Designate, Samuel A. Stevequah, hailed the PPCC as “a central pillar of good governance” and reaffirmed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s commitment to building a transparent and accountable procurement regime.
“These have been 20 years of striving for accountability and building institutions that work for the people of Liberia. Through the PPCC’s oversight, Liberia has reduced waste, minimized corruption, and ensured that public funds are used more efficiently,” said Mr. Stevequah.
The Minister-designate emphasized that transparent procurement is not just about compliance, but the “backbone of good governance.”
He stressed that when contracts are awarded fairly and openly, citizens gain confidence in government and investors are encouraged to do business with Liberia.
“Our President has made it clear—every ministry, agency, and commission must fully utilize the PPCC’s online system to strengthen accountability,” Mr. Stevequah added, underscoring plans to expand digital tracking of contracts and build stronger procurement capacity across government.
Executive Director Bodger Scott Johnson described the anniversary as a “moment of reflection” on the PPCC’s evolution since its establishment in 2005.
He traced reforms that strengthened compliance and fairness, from standard bidding procedures to the creation of a complaints and review panel.
Mr. Johnson highlighted the commission’s landmark achievements this year such as the launch of Liberia’s e-Government Procurement System (e-GP) in February 2025.
The platform, he revealed, has already processed over US$12M in contracts across six government entities, with a goal of onboarding 50 more institutions before year’s end.
“With 537 businesses registered on the platform, we are moving from paper-based to digital systems. The future is about nationwide rollout, data-driven oversight, and ensuring that every public dollar delivers maximum value,” Mr. Johnson stated.
Dr. Ivan F. Camanor, Chairman of the Board of Directors, called the anniversary “a milestone in Liberia’s governance journey,” reminding stakeholders that the PPCC was born out of post-war reforms to ensure integrity in public resource management.
He cautioned, however, that the next phase must focus on stronger enforcement of procurement laws, deeper integration of technology, and ensuring that concession agreements yield tangible benefits for Liberians.
“The real measure of our success,” Dr. Camanor said, “will be a Liberia where public resources serve the public good, institutions are stronger than individuals, and accountability is a reality.”
The celebration brought together government officials, civil society representatives, and international partners, including the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Union, UNDP, and USAID, all of whom were lauded for their technical and financial support in strengthening Liberia’s procurement systems.
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