Liberia : Public Investment Management Assessment

This paper assesses public investment in Liberia. The overall performance of public investment management (PIM) in Liberia is in line with that of comparable low-income countries, and reflects the country’s post-conflict status, which severely damaged its infrastructure, and heavy dependence on external loans and grants. About 80 percent of Liberia’s public investment is financed through concessional loans and grants, and executed outside the budget with relatively adequate institutions. Domestically financed projects score less well. The planning phase includes adequate national and sectoral planning institutions, while the allocation phase requires further focus on integrating donor and domestically financed projects and improving project appraisal. While project management is slowly improving, further work is required to protect funds allocated to investment projects. Significant work is required to strengthen the PPP and SOE frameworks for public investment.