The Liberia Business Registry (LBR), has officially launched a State of the Art Website and Online Application System in the County.  The initiative, in support of efforts by the CDC led-Government to improve the business climate in Liberia was formally inaugurated Wednesday, July 3, 2019, in Monrovia at the conference room of the Liberia Business Registry.

The modern platform, a joint undertaking of the Liberia Business Registry, Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Foreign Affairs, Finance and Development Planning and the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASCORP), attracted a number of speeches and was characterized by praises upon the Registrar General of LBR, Sampson M. Dee and his team.

“As you may know, the Liberia Business Registry is a one stop shop that is responsible to ensure that all businesses are formalized and registered. So, on that basis of our own responsibilities; we have decided to ease the process of doing business in Liberia, especially when it comes to business startup.”Mr. Dee observed.

A Commerce Ministry release quotes Mr.  Dee as saying   that upon taking over the Liberia Business Registry in 2018, he met series of challenges, ranging from system break down access to business registry and delays in processing business registration and complaints from tax payers.  “Let me say thank you to the able Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, for being instrumental and very supportive of the idea we are celebrating today.” Mr. Dee disclosed.

He equally  lauded the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Professor Wilson K. Tarpeh, for also being supportive of the initiative , including all other constructive ideas leading to the actualization of the dream to set  up and the  subsequent launch of the State of the Art Website/Platform for the Liberia Business Registry. “There have been series of challenges, in fact the last rating that came up from the World Bank,  said  it was  taking  Liberia  18 days  to register a business in the Country and I think we all know that this is  highly unfriendly when it comes to the business sector. So, on that basis President George M. Weah, set up a Business Climate Working Group, of which we are member and we were tasked with the singular responsibility to turn the picture around to improve the business climate and ensure that we attract investors from every part of the world.” He noted.

Performing the official launching ceremony, Deputy Information Minister for Technical Services, Boakai  Fofana, said the Liberian Government is not only interested in improving the general condition of the citizenry, but also business establishments in support of development. Mr. Fofana noted that  over the last year, government specifically set the Business Climate Working Group and the Liberian Business Registry as   an integral part of national efforts to improve the business climate in the country.

Mr. Fofana, speaking  on behalf of Information Minister, Len Eugen Nagbe,  further hailed the LBR family for their remarkable achievement, relatively within  a short period of time and added that the Platform will add value to Liberia’s economic growth.

For his part, Acting Commerce and Industry Minister, Wilfred N. Bangura,   said he was happy to be part of a history making event that is built around improving the business climate of Liberia.  Mr. Bangura said for  many years now, there has been  some form of  darkness over the business community of the Country, noting that   the launch of the State  of the Art Website  in Liberia  marks  a new dawn  in doing effective business.

The Acting Commerce Minister further noted that the idea is going to help  in clearing  such  darkness that has  been over Liberia.  “We heard the Registrar General  say   there are  foreign entrepreneurs who may  come to Liberia and may  like to have information of doing business in the Country, and this  development will undoubtedly help in the process.” Mr. Bangura observed.

The Acting Commerce and Industry Minister further said the idea is a  testament to President Weah’s  declaration that Liberia is truly  ready  for business.

As   Mr. Captan (reference to the CEO of Millennium Challenge Account –Liberia)   alluded to in his presentation, the secret behind the growth of certain economies of Africa such as Mauritius, The Gambia, Kenya and other sub-Saharan economies is digitalization, this is the only way you can take your country from the manual system and usher it into the new century were just with the touch of a screen of the computer, one can   get information from anywhere in the world. And this will move us considerably at the higher point and we are going to have Liberia now competing with other growing economies in Africa.” He added.

The official launch of the modern online platform for the Liberia Business Registry also witnessed remarks from other officials of the Liberian Government, including Acting Liberia Revenue Authority Commissioner General, Decontee King-Sackie, the CEO of Millennium Challenge Account –Liberia, Monie R. Captan,  a representative from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning,  the Liberia Business Association and the President of the Liberia National Bar Association, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe, amongst others.

Jacob N.B. Parley
Communications Director