MONROVIA – It is whether the state can see it. That framed the visit to the Gasabo Gold Refinery. Comptroller and Accountant General Elwood T. Nettey wants gold traced from processing to final sale. Rwanda offers a model built on purity checks, price monitoring and transaction records. The Liberia Revenue Authority draws the same lesson for tax valuation. Yet a refinery is only a tool. Its value depends on coordination among Liberian institutions, a weakness Nettey himself acknowledged. The Rwanda Development Board’s One-Stop Center adds a lesson on simpler investor procedures. The real test lies in the reforms Liberia adopts at home. THE ANALYST reports.
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Liberia’s Comptroller and Accountant General, Elwood T. Nettey, has called for stronger systems to monitor gold production, improve revenue collection, and ensure that the country benefits fairly from its natural resources.
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Nettey made the call during the second day of Liberia’s study tour of Rwanda, following a visit to the Gasabo Gold Refinery in Kigali’s Economic Zone.
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The visit gave the Liberian delegation an opportunity to learn how Rwanda’s approach to gold processing, quality verification, and transaction monitoring could offer useful lessons for improving revenue generation and public financial management back home.
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For Nettey, the visit was about more than observing how a refinery operates. It was an opportunity to understand how effective systems can help government track valuable natural resources and ensure that the revenue generated contributes to national development.
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“As part of our efforts to strengthen decentralization, we are learning from countries that have made progress in building strong institutions and effective systems. We chose Rwanda because of the lessons we believe we can learn from its experience,” Nettey insisted.
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He noted that Liberia is blessed with natural resources, including gold, but stressed that the real benefit comes when the country has the right systems in place to manage those resources transparently and ensure that government receives the revenue it is entitled to.
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Refinery Shows Value of Verification
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According to him, the refinery’s operations demonstrated how having an organized point for processing and verifying gold can help authorities better understand the quality and value of the mineral before it enters the international market.
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He explained that access to reliable information on gold purity, market prices, and transactions can help government institutions strengthen oversight, identify discrepancies, and ensure that the appropriate revenue is collected.
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“The system gives government a better opportunity to monitor prices in line with the international market and ensure that it receives its fair share to help develop the country,” he pointed out.
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Nettey believes that lessons from the visit could help Liberia explore practical ways to improve how gold-related transactions are documented and monitored, from the point of processing to the final sale.
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He emphasized that stronger coordination among government institutions, supported by technical expertise and appropriate reforms, could improve domestic revenue mobilization and give government more resources to invest in public services.
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“Our goal is to understand how these systems are organized and how revenue from the gold sector can be traced. With the right arrangements and technical support, we can strengthen our revenue and provide more services to our people,” Nettey added.
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LRA Backs Transparent Gold Valuation
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Also speaking during the visit, Margaret P. Krote, Commissioner for Domestic Tax at the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), told the gathering that the key lesson for Liberia was the importance of reliable information, transparent reporting, and proper verification in determining the value of gold for tax purposes.
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Krote observed that a specialized refinery can play an important role in verifying gold purity before the mineral is sent to the international market. She said this process, combined with effective information-sharing between private operators and government agencies, could help strengthen tax administration.
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Krote added that Liberia could draw valuable lessons from Rwanda’s determination to turn national priorities into practical action. The Gasabo Gold Refinery is a US$5 million (L$911.8 million) private-sector project that refines gold in Kigali, Rwanda.
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RDB One-Stop Center Offers Lessons
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Earlier in the day, the Liberian delegation visited the One-Stop Center of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to learn how Rwanda coordinates services for investors and makes it easier for businesses to establish and operate.
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The center brings together several investment-related services, including business registration, licensing, permits, and other administrative processes, helping investors navigate government procedures more efficiently.
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The visit offered the delegation another perspective on the role that coordinated institutions and simplified procedures can play in encouraging investment, supporting businesses, and strengthening economic activity.
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Together, the engagements at the One-Stop Center and Gasabo Gold Refinery highlighted two important lessons for Liberia: the need for government institutions to work together more effectively and the importance of transparent systems that ensure economic activities generate the revenue needed for development.
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The Liberian team ended the day with a visit to the Kigali City Council. As the study tour continues, the delegation is examining Rwanda’s experience for practical ideas that can support Liberia’s decentralization and local governance reforms, strengthen public financial management, and improve the delivery of services to citizens.
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