—- Millions Land in Public Official Pockets
IPNEWS: President Joseph Boakai has repeatedly declared that “there will be no business as usual” in Liberia, a mantra he introduced during his January 2024 inauguration to signal a new era of accountability and transparency.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, he has utilized this phrase to underscore his commitment to fighting corruption and reforming government operations, however, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has released a new research report uncovering both progress and serious shortcomings in the implementation of County Social Development Fund (CSDF) projects across six counties in Liberia.
The report was launched on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, during a press conference at CENTAL’s headquarters in Sinkor, Monrovia. Addressing journalists, CENTAL Executive Director Anderson D. Miamen said counties have, for years, received CSDF resources intended to promote local development and improve the lives of people in underserved communities.
Miamen explained that the CSDF consists of social development payments made by concession companies operating in counties, as well as budgetary allocations from the national government. These funds, he said, are meant to ensure that communities benefit directly from the natural resources extracted from their areas.
“This financing module has been a consequential pillar upon which people living in communities deprived of schools, medical facilities and other infrastructures reap the benefits of their natural endowment or resources,” Miamen stated.
He noted that the research was conducted under CENTAL’s National Integrity Building and Anti-Corruption Program, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through the Embassy of Sweden in Liberia. The program is being implemented in Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Bomi, Gbarpolu, Bong, and Nimba counties.
According to Miamen, a major component of the program is the Open Expenditure Initiative, which focuses on monitoring CSDF-funded projects, assessing transparency in project selection and implementation, tracking disbursement patterns, and evaluating the impact of the funds on citizens, including women, youth, and persons with special needs.
“Over the years, these engagements have identified successes, but at the same time uncovered several inadequacies with the appropriation, disbursement and implementation of the CSDF projects,” he told the press.
The 2025 research report, titled “Open Expenditure: Examining CSDF Projects in Six Counties,” was conducted in June 2025 through field visits to Nimba, Bong, Grand Bassa, Bomi, Rivercess, and Gbarpolu counties. The research team visited more than 30 CSDF-funded project sites, including schools, hospitals, markets, bridges, and administrative buildings.
Miamen said the team also interviewed county authorities and consulted community representatives to assess the overall effectiveness of CSDF projects and their alignment with development priorities.
The findings reveal that while communities acknowledged progress such as the construction of new schools, renovation of town halls, and improvements to health facilities, many residents raised concerns about incomplete projects, slow implementation, and limited inclusion of vulnerable groups in decision-making processes.
One major issue identified in the report is the continued centralization of local development, with CSDF funds largely used for government infrastructure in county capitals. This approach, the report notes, has limited the impact on rural communities, particularly in Grand Bassa, Nimba, and Bong counties.
Weak contract management was also highlighted, including the Jawajeh Town Hall project in Bomi County, where unauthorized changes to contracts increased costs and left the project incomplete for several years. In Bong County, children were observed working at a school construction site in Gbarnga, violating the Children’s Law of 2011 and exposing gaps in contractor oversight.
The report further found that CSDF funds were spread across too many sectors, reducing overall impact and leaving projects under-resourced. In Nimba County, a completed youth center in Bunadin lacked basic amenities, limiting its usefulness to the community.
Accessibility for persons with disabilities was another major concern, as most CSDF-funded facilities lacked inclusive design features despite assurances from engineers. County Councils across the six counties were also found to be operating with limited capacity, including inadequate staffing, lack of stipends, and insufficient logistical support.
Based on these findings, CENTAL recommended that counties prioritize fewer, high-impact projects, strengthen institutional support for County Councils, ensure timely release of CSDF allocations, and establish structured monitoring mechanisms involving communities, women, and youth.
Miamen emphasized that improving transparency and citizen access to information on CSDF disbursements and project implementation is essential for restoring public trust and ensuring accountability. He said sustained cooperation among the Ministry of Internal Affairs, County Administrations, County Councils, and civil society organizations remains critical to ensuring that CSDF resources translate into meaningful, inclusive, and lasting development for communities across Liberia.
