The Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) regulates public procurement and tender processes across government. The PPCC struggles to fully regulate tenders as procurement entities largely fail to follow the procedures outlined in the Amended and Restated PPCC Act of 2010. The Government of Liberia is the largest employer and the largest purchaser of goods and services in the country, but government procurement does not always follow established PPCC processes. In addition, the government lacks adequate financial resources to finance large public procurements, and seeks support from international donors, including multilateral organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank for such procurements.
Foreign suppliers may participate in international bids for public procurement contracts. Overall, Liberia has a robust legal framework for public procurement that complies with most of the international best practices considered relevant by both the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) framework and Global Integrity. However, there have been reports of procurement rules being flouted by public officials or procuring entities. Liberia is not a party or signatory to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), nor is it a party to a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States that contains commitments on government procurement.
U.S. companies bidding on Government tenders may qualify for U.S. Government advocacy. A unit of the U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, the Advocacy Center, coordinates U.S. Government interagency advocacy efforts on behalf of U.S. exporters bidding on public sector contracts with international governments and government agencies. The Advocacy Center works closely with our network of the U.S. Commercial Service worldwide and inter-agency partners to ensure that exporters of U.S. products and services have the best possible chance of winning government contracts. Advocacy assistance can take many forms but often involves the U.S. Embassy or other U.S. Government agencies expressing support for the U.S. bidders directly to the foreign government. Consult the Advocacy Center for Foreign Government Contracts for additional information.
Financing of Projects
Liberia is a member of and borrower from multilateral development banks, such as the African Development Bank and Afrexim Bank.
Financing for major infrastructure projects is either exclusively sourced from Liberia’s bilateral and multilateral development partners or jointly from the government and international donors. These projects include projects, such as road construction and paving, airport construction and renovation, and hydroelectric power plant construction and renovation. Examples of such projects include the newly completed Fishtown-Harper Road project, funded jointly through Liberia’s bilateral and multilateral partners, including the African Development Fund/African Development Bank Group and the Governments of Liberia through counterpart funding. Projects such as the road from Fishtown to Harper further enable Liberia’s development and economic growth, including improving accessibility to economic and social services for communities in the southeastern corridors of Liberia. The road also serves international traffic within ECOWAS/Mano River Union region (Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone) and contributes to regional economic integration.
Financing for large projects is almost exclusively sourced from outside Liberia. International donors fund many large-scale projects, such as road construction and paving including the United States, the World Bank, the EU, the African Development Bank, the Government of China, the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development, the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). U.S. business may bid for these procurements through international competitive bids.
Multilateral Development Banks and Financing Government Sales. Price, payment terms, and financing can be a significant factor in winning a government contract. Many governments finance public works projects through borrowing from the Multilateral Development Banks (MDB). The Guide to Doing Business with Multilateral Development Banks overviews how to work with MDBs. The International Trade Administration (ITA) has a Foreign Commercial Service Officer stationed at each of the five different Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs): the African Development Bank; the Asian Development Bank; the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; the Inter-American Development Bank; and the World Bank.
Learn more by contacting the:
· Commercial Liaison Office to the African Development Bank
· Commercial Liaison Office to the World Bank.