By Lewis S. Teh
Monrovia, July 17, 2026: Integrity Watch Liberia and the Liberian Senate Committee on Investment and Concessions have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen legislative oversight of concession agreements and promote transparency in Liberia’s investment sector.
The agreement was signed Thursday at the Capitol Building in Monrovia. Under the MoU, Integrity Watch Liberia will provide independent technical, research, and advisory support to the Senate Committee.
The partnership is intended to help review concession deals, monitor compliance, and ensure that agreements serve Liberia’s national development interests.
IWL Executive Director Harold Aidoo stated that concession agreements in sectors such as mining, forestry, agriculture, and infrastructure are integral to Liberia’s development and require robust oversight. He said the MoU establishes a framework for providing technical, research, and advisory support to the Senate Committee to strengthen its oversight responsibilities.
Aidoo noted that effective oversight requires lawmakers to have access to timely expertise and policy analysis to scrutinize agreements and ensure compliance with national laws and development priorities.
As part of the MoU, IWL will conduct technical reviews of concession agreements and amendments, prepare policy briefs and advisory memoranda, identify gaps in fiscal provisions, environmental safeguards, community benefits, local content requirements, and compliance mechanisms, and support stakeholder engagement with government, concessionaires, affected communities, and civil society.
IWL will also organize capacity-building programs for Committee members and staff
Support oversight visits where resources permit. All technical advice will remain independent, objective, and evidence based.
The Senate Committee will lead legislative oversight, identify areas needing technical support, facilitate access to relevant documents, encourage participation in capacity-building activities, and designate a focal person to coordinate implementation.
Committee Chairman Sen. Numene T. H. Bartekwa of Grand Kru County said the partnership has the full endorsement of the President Pro Tempore and Senate leadership.
He said the agreement will help train lawmakers to better scrutinize legislative instruments and acknowledged Integrity Watch Liberia’s previous support.
Bartekwa also called for continued technical assistance from international partners to help lawmakers analyze complex legislative instruments.
Both parties agreed to periodically review the implementation of the MoU to assess progress and strengthen collaboration. The agreement will remain in force for three years and may be renewed by mutual consent.
Aidoo said the partnership aims to improve the Committee’s ability to assess the fiscal, environmental, and social provisions of concession agreements while encouraging responsible investment aligned with Liberia’s development agenda.
