The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Amin Modad, has praised the increase in business registrations in Nimba, Bong, and Margibi Counties over the last few months. Minister Modad along with a high-level delegation, including Benedict A. Dolo, Deputy Minister for Small Business Administration; Andrew Paygar-Flangiah, Deputy Minister for Industry; Patience Randall, Registrar General of the Liberia Business Registry (LBR); and D. Dorr Cooper, Inspector General of the Ministry of Commerce, and Chief of Office Staff, Mr. Alphanso Belleh are on a business assessment tour within the three counties in north and central Liberia.
Speaking with reporters in Bong County, Minister Modad said the tour is part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s broader strategy to empower local enterprises and stimulate economic activity outside the capital, Monrovia. Minister Modad said the ministry will do everything possible to improve service delivery at the registration centers within counties.
He disclosed that the Liberia Business Registry is in the process of implementing a new digital registration system. This digital system is designed to reduce bureaucracy, curb corruption, and significantly shorten the time it takes for businesses to register. The Commerce Minister said by improving human-to-human transactions will make it easier for businesses to start and grow and will create more jobs for Liberians.
He said the broader vision of President Joseph N. Boakai is determined to address the structural challenges hindering Liberia’s economic progress and ensure that the benefits of growth are shared widely across the country.
Commenting on his administration’s key achievements at Commerce Ministry, Minister Midas said since taking office, he has issued 12 permits for the importation of rice, all to Liberian-owned businesses, a key departure from past practices where foreign entities dominated essential imports. He said the ministry wants to decentralize economic activities and take them out of Monrovia, and the only way to do this is to fully understand what they inherited and can build from there.