MONROVIA – Economist Ambulah Mamey has challenged the Liberian government to take responsibility for the country’s outdated poverty statistics, arguing that Liberia cannot blame the World Bank for relying on old data when producing and maintaining credible national economic statistics is primarily the government’s responsibility.
Mamey’s comments come amid growing criticism from government officials and supporters over the World Bank’s latest report on Liberia, particularly its reliance on poverty data that some government representatives have questioned.
In a strongly worded statement, the economist urged the government to stop what he described as social media attacks against the authors of the World Bank report, its assumptions, and conclusions, insisting that disagreements should instead be addressed through formal engagement with the international financial institution.
“The Government of Liberia should stop the social media attack on the authors of the World Bank’s report, its assumptions, and its conclusions,” Mamey stated.
He argued that publicly attacking the report before formally engaging the Bank undermines the principles of multilateral cooperation and does little to resolve disagreements over the country’s economic situation.
According to Mamey, Liberia must recognize that producing reliable macroeconomic and poverty data is fundamentally a national responsibility, rather than expecting international institutions to fill gaps in the country’s statistical system.
He specifically challenged the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) to strengthen its capacity beyond preparing national budgets and expenditure reports.
Mamey said the ministry should regularly collect macroeconomic data, produce comprehensive economic reports, and use those findings to guide national development planning and economic management.
He also identified the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) and the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) as critical institutions that must work alongside the Finance Ministry to establish a reliable national data system.
“The required standard is that MFDP, LISGIS, and CBL must become a primary, trusted source of Liberia’s key macro data,” he emphasized.
The economist further argued that official economic reports produced by the Finance Ministry should become the principal reference for policymakers, investors, journalists, and other stakeholders discussing Liberia’s economic performance.
His comments raise broader questions about Liberia’s institutional capacity to generate timely, credible, and independently verifiable economic statistics, particularly poverty data that influence government policies, investment decisions, and international development assessments.
Mamey maintained that the solution to disagreements over international economic reports is not public confrontation but investment in national data collection, consistent publication, and institutional accountability.
“The solution to better numbers in international reports is not to attack those who use the available data. It is to produce better data ourselves, publish it consistently, and make it the reference point for everyone,” he concluded.
The debate underscores a critical challenge facing Liberia: without reliable and regularly updated national statistics, international institutions will continue relying on the best available information, even when that information does not reflect current economic realities.
For the government, the responsibility goes beyond disputing the World Bank’s findings. It must demonstrate, through credible national data, where the country stands economically and whether its policies are improving the living conditions of ordinary Liberians.
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