Monrovia-September 29, 2021: The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has launched its State of Corruption Report 2021, with nine of ten Liberians thinking that corruption remains high in Liberia, with lack of confidence in the public sector to address it.

The report stated that corruption level is high with majority of the respondents not having confidence in the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary branches of government to fight the menace.
Presenting the Report Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at the Cape Hotel in Mamba Point, CENTAL’s Program Manager, Attorney Gerald D. Yeakula said nearly eight in ten seventy-six percent of the respondents witnessed corruption either through observation or participation over the last 12 months, with bribery being the most form of corruption witnessed.

According to Atty. Yeakula, medical services were ranked in the Report as the most prone to corruption, followed by Police services. Females were amongst the majority of people who identified medical services as the most prone to corruption.
The report stated that out of the respondents who witnessed corruption, only twenty-five percent reported it and the rest said they didn’t report due to various reasons, ranging from retaliation, fear of losing jobs, amongst others.

The research work also identified that public resources that are channeled through the national budget end up in the pockets of public officials through direct payments, indirect payments, or backdoor deals with offices of top government officials remain heavily supported whilst institutions at the forefront of the fight against corruption are poorly funded.

The report was welcomed by all stakeholders and partners present at the launching ceremony. Various speakers emphasized the need for the Government of Liberia, civil society and other actors to do more by showing increased political will and commitment to the fight against Corruption in the country. Particularly, the Government of Liberia was admonished to lead by example in the process, in part through increasing budgetary support to public integrity institutions and impartially investigating and prosecuting Corruption cases and complaints.

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CENTAL Knowledges these Representatives below by saying:

Special thanks to Amb. Urban Sjostrom, Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia; Amb. Malcolm A. McCarthy, US Embassy near Monrovia; Government Integrity Institutions, Civil Society Actors, The Media, Students’ Representation, the Panelists, the Moderator, CENTAL’s Board Chairperson, Cllr. T. Nagbalee Warner, and all those who graced the Report launch.

They also say special thanks to the Government and People of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) for continuously supporting National integrity-building efforts.