MONROVIA – Finance and Development Planning Minister, Mr. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has rallied Liberians as a nation to step up and begin to run to catch up with the rest of the tech world as Liberia is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to the latest technology.
“We, as a country, we know that we are already behind in the technology race. We cannot afford [this]; and we cannot be comfortable to be behind. Well, we have to leapfrog; we have to sprint,” the Finance Minister said on Monday, July 21, when he delivered remarks at the opening of the Technology Summit 2025 Transforming Governance, Empowering Citizens, held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congotown.
The nation’s chief Economist further stated that as Liberia tries to deal with what he described as “foundational issues,” he added: “people are talking AI. So sometimes it appears like we are perpetually behind, but we need to start to dream big dreams.”
“Think big and act big. We know our circumstances are challenging, but we cannot stop thinking big. That’s the beginning; we need to conceive big things for this country. It’s good that I see some folks, Liberians, private sector innovators, thinking, contriving, implementing big things. And sometimes it appears like you are crazy in this environment when you think big.”
He further told his audience, which included members of the diplomatic community, tech experts, students of technology, government officials and others that when US President John F. Kennedy and others were talking about going on the moon, some people looked at them and felt that they were crazy. “We need to start to talk some crazy things now. We need to, because it is the thing that will make us jump fast.”
“We are in the technology age. Some of the challenges we face as a government can only be solved through technology. One of our key measures to deal with some of the shocks that we face this year is to employ or deploy technology in revenue mobilization.”
Minister Ngafuan said the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) is now rolling that out. He further informed his audience that the Government this year, launched a “great project” with the World Bank, a US$30-million project, meant to improve government accountability and transformation. Adding: “But it is meant to support key ministries and agencies to digitize processes.”
“We at the Ministry of Finance are digitizing, but we have ways to go. We want to be able to make things efficient, because efficiency will cut processing time. The faster we implement processes, the quicker we get government revenue, and when we raise more revenue, we do more for our people,” he stated among other things. He concluded by assuring the players in the tech industry that the Ministry of Finance will coordinate with them to enable the resources that they seek in this sector.
Representing President Joseph Nyuma Boakai at the Tech Summit, was the Acting Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Ms. Mamaka Bility.
Acting Minister Bility indicated to her audience that as the Administration of President Boakai executes the national development agenda— ARREST Agenda, which focuses on agriculture, roads, rule of law, education, sanitation, and tourism, they are mindful that none of those pillars will succeed without a solid digital foundation. “Technology is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity,” she emphasized.
“It is a path to dignity, opportunity, and inclusive growth. This is why the leadership of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., is gathering inputs to finalize its comprehensive National ICT Policy and accompany a National Digital Strategy. These documents are not just policies. They are blueprints for action guiding how we use data, innovation, and connectivity to serve our people better.”
