IPNEWS: With funding from the World Bank under the Liberia Investment, Finance, and Trade (LIFT) Project, two separate delegations from the Liberia Special Economic Zones Authority (LSEZA) have successfully completed strategic study tours to Kenya and Gabon.
The tours were aimed at strengthening Liberia’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ) framework through knowledge exchange, operational benchmarking, and strategic learning. The week-long visit provided LSEZA teams with firsthand insights into effective Special Economic Zones (SEZ) management systems, public-private partnership models, and the One Stop Shop (OSS) concept.
The One Stop Shop (OSS) framework is an integrated platform designed to streamline investor services by consolidating all government processes related to investment, business registration, and licensing, physically and digitally through a single platform. This model simplifies investment processes and enhances efficiency.
The benchmarking exercise underscores LSEZA’s commitment to adopting transferable best practices that will help operationalize a functional One Stop Shop system, strengthen administrative and legal structures, and enhance Liberia’s competitiveness as an investment destination.
As part of the benchmarking tour in Kenya, the team visited the Nairobi Gate Industrial Park, Tatu City, and the Konza Technopolis SEZ sites. The
delegation gained valuable insights into how Kenya’s SEZ framework drives investment, innovation, and job creation.
In Gabon, the team studied the country’s tax incentive structures, government participation in SEZs, and the implementation of its Single window System, which serves as Gabon’s version of the One Stop Shop model.
The study tour was made possible through support from the World Bank under the Liberia Investment, Finance, and Trade (LIFT) Project, which seeks to enhance Liberia’s investment climate, improve access to finance, and increase trade efficiency, among other objectives.
The Kenya delegation included Taikahn Chattah, Enterprise Development Officer and Head of Delegation; Francis Samuels, Budget and Finance Analyst; and Chief Budu Wilson, Coordinator, One Stop Shop whilst the Gabon delegation comprised Standford Peabody, Executive Director for Planning and Research and Head of Delegation; Boakai Siafa, Afro-Zone Development Assistant; and William Kawalawu, Agriculture and Agri-Business Advisor.
About LSEZA:
The Liberia Special Economic Zones Authority (LSEZA) is the statutory body responsible for promoting, developing, and managing Special Economic Zones across Liberia to drive industrialization, attract foreign investment, and create sustainable jobs.
Contact: Daniel Ankrah (+231-886-948471 / 770382262)
Corporate Communications Manager
Liberia Special Economic Zones Authority
