“Procure With Accountability,” President Boakai Demands Strict Adherence to Public Procurement Rules

Speaking at the opening of the twenty-fourth Cabinet meeting, held under the theme, “Value for Money; Maximizing Fiscal Space through System Efficiency and Government Asset Security,” President Boakai acknowledged that government procurement procedures can sometimes be frustrating because of the processes involved, but stressed that the safeguard measures are necessary to protect the country’s resources and ensure that opportunities are accessible to qualified Liberians. The edition of Cabinet meetings was focus on procurement and concessions.

“Sometimes people get frustrated about all what you have to do to go through to buy this and buy that; but just imagine if these things were not in place, and even if they are in place, that people there were not implementing them, the resources you are talking about, you will not have them,” President Boakai said.

The President asserted that procurement is not merely an administrative requirement but a key instrument for strengthening accountability, promoting fairness in the marketplace, and broadening citizen participation in government business.

“When we say procurement in the sense of procurement, it helps with accountability. It helps with fair play in the market. It also helps with making sure that every citizen has access to rendering services to this country,” he stated.

The President further emphasized that participation in government should not be understood solely as securing public employment, noting that Liberians can also contribute to national development by competitively supplying goods and services to the government. 

Noted the President, “Participation in the government doesn’t mean that everybody will work with the government, but you can serve, you can provide goods and services,” he said.

He stressed that such participation must be governed by a transparent and competitive system capable of giving all qualified citizens an opportunity, rather than creating perceptions that government contracts are reserved for friends or politically connected individuals. “To do that in a competitive society, you need to have a process by which everybody can have access without going around saying, well, they give it to their friend, they have this, they have that,” President Boakai said.

The President went on to applaud members of the Cabinet for their service, noting that public officials often receive attention for their mistakes while their day-to-day efforts frequently go unrecognized.

“People wait for the mistake you make, but we’re in leadership. So we watch and listen. We want to appreciate you very much,” he told Cabinet members.