Monrovia, Liberia – In a bold reaffirmation of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s vision for a performance-driven government, Nathaniel T. Kwabo, Director General of the Cabinet, has emphasized the need for Liberian government institutions to move beyond ceremonial titles and embrace a culture of delivery, accountability, and responsiveness.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, during a high-level engagement session held at the Bella Casa Hotel in Monrovia, Kwabo addressed Deputy Ministers and planning officers from various ministries and agencies. The session focused on the Performance Target-Setting Process under the 2025 cycle of the Planning, Monitoring, and Compliance System (PMCS).
“This initiative is not about wearing titles on your skin,” Kwabo said. “It’s about delivering services to the Liberian people and being responsive to those who brought you to govern.”
The presidential initiative, launched last year, sets clear performance benchmarks, starting with the development and implementation of institutional Service Delivery Charters and the strengthening of internal systems.
The ongoing training is designed to equip Deputy Ministers for Planning and their equivalents to lead the development of institutional performance targets aligned with national priorities, sector mandates, and budget ceilings.
According to Kwabo, over 90% of institutions met the initial targets, showing promising signs of growth in areas such as human resource development and financial management control systems.
Kwabo acknowledged the encouraging results from the pilot phase of the initiative. However, he also pointed out that a few institutions lagged behind, largely due to limited resource allocation and systemic inefficiencies.
“The main challenge we see is resource allocation. The budget is tight, and the financial landscape is not too good. Look at what is happening globally, and so naturally, you will find entities straggling. But we must not use this as an excuse. There are reforms and innovations that require minimal financial resources,” he stressed.
Drawing lessons from a recent government benchmarking trip to Sierra Leone, Kwabo highlighted two critical takeaways: cabinet-level oversight in resource accountability and cascading performance systems to local governments. These insights, he noted, align with President Boakai’s repeated calls to decentralize performance and compliance mechanisms beyond Monrovia.
“You cannot be asking for more resources when you haven’t proven how you used the last allocation or what results you achieved,” he emphasized.
Adding to the discourse, Richlue Burphy, Deputy Director General for Lotto Games at the National Lottery Authority (NLA), echoed the importance of institutional coordination and effective communication of service delivery.
“The National Lottery is on top of its game because we’ve clearly defined our service delivery charter and know how to tell the public what we’re doing,” Burphy said. “If you don’t say ‘I am,’ nobody will say ‘thou art.’”
Burphy expressed concern about the overlap between the Cabinet Secretariat and Ministry of Finance in requesting institutional reports, calling for stronger inter-agency coordination.
He further stressed the importance of government institutions “selling” their services to the public not in commercial terms, but by raising awareness of available public services and ensuring accessibility.
Despite the resource constraints and coordination gaps, the Cabinet Secretariat remains committed to refining the government’s performance systems. With stronger oversight, enhanced inter-agency collaboration, and a renewed sense of public service, the administration hopes to build a government that not only carries titles but delivers results for all Liberians.
