Экономика Либерии растет, но безработица и цифровизация остаются нерешенными проблемами

Boakai’s Two-Year Report Card: Growth Up, Jobs Lag By Kruah Thompson MONROVIA, August 25, 2026 — Two years into President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration, the government is reporting stronger economic growth, lower inflation and gains in infrastructure, electricity access and public-sector reforms, but acknowledges that unemployment, rural development, digitalization and other major challenges remain unresolved. Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah presented the government’s assessment Tuesday at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing in Monrovia, following a recent National Steering Committee meeting chaired by President Boakai to review implementation of the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. Piah said the review was intended to provide the public with a clearer picture of progress made and challenges confronting implementation of the government’s national development priorities. Economy: Growth Up, Inflation Down Under economic transformation, Piah said Liberia’s economic growth increased from 4.2 percent in 2024 to 5.1 percent in 2025 and is projected to reach 5.5 percent in 2026. Inflation, meanwhile, declined from 12.8 percent to 4.2 percent at the end of 2025 and is projected to remain in single digits in 2026. Government revenue collection reached US$761.1 million, according to Piah, with domestic revenue projected to continue rising in 2026. The government also reported the creation of more than 6,000 permanent jobs and approximately 70,000 temporary jobs. The Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank received US$17.8 million, with the government targeting support for 30,000 youth-led businesses. Agricultural production increased to 101,074 metric tons, supported by 13 aggregation hubs and subsidies to farmers. Despite those figures, Piah acknowledged that unemployment remains a significant challenge and that short-term employment continues to dominate the labor market. He also conceded that efforts to diversify the economy beyond agriculture and small and medium-sized enterprises remain at an early stage. The proposed Agricultural Development Bank has yet to be established, while access to banking services in rural communities remains limited. Infrastructure and Electricity On infrastructure, the government reported that electricity access increased from 32 percent in 2022 to 38 percent in 2025 and reached 39 percent as of June 30, 2026. Piah said 141.1 kilometers of roads had been paved or rehabilitated, while 256.41 kilometers of secondary roads were maintained. Another 821 kilometers of feeder roads were rehabilitated, along with 336.24 kilometers of urban and community roads that were either rehabilitated or paved. The government also procured 285 yellow machines for nationwide road construction and maintenance. The National Transit Authority’s fleet expanded to 53 buses and five trucks. Access to safe drinking water increased from 77 percent to 78.8 percent, reaching an estimated 4.4 million people, according to the government. Water production increased from 700 million gallons to 846 million gallons in 2025, while 3,210 new household connections were completed. Sewer connections also increased to 1,751 households. But the government acknowledged that rural electrification and infrastructure remain limited, while several energy projects are behind schedule. Governance and Rule of Law On governance and the rule of law, Piah said Liberia ranked 10th among the most peaceful countries in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2025 Global Peace Index. Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms handled 1,028 cases, including 278 in 2025 and 750 during the first half of 2026. Piah said judicial digitization and case-management reforms had advanced, while standardized legal filings and mandatory registration of law firms had commenced. Audit coverage across government increased to 65 percent by the end of 2025, while the government reported that 98 percent of presidential appointees had complied with asset-declaration requirements. The General Auditing Commission completed 31 audits of spending entities, commenced 35 audits of government-funded projects and released 26 audit reports covering public agencies and state-owned enterprises. The government also launched an electronic procurement platform, while online business-registration processing time was reduced from five days to three days. Drug Fight On the fight against illicit drugs, Piah said the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency arrested 525 suspects and seized more than 10,000 kilograms of illegal drugs reportedly valued at approximately US$2.6 million. He also cited the seizure of an additional 354.84 kilograms of drugs reportedly valued at US$19 million. The government’s assessment comes amid heightened public concern over transnational drug trafficking and a series of high-profile cocaine seizures and prosecutions. Environment and Energy Under environmental sustainability, Piah said the Environmental Protection Agency now operates in all 15 counties. The EPA conducted 470 inspections, issued 58 compliance certificates, rejected 19 applications and carried out 39 investigations. The government also reported collecting US$15,000 through related enforcement activities. Authorities removed illegal occupants from Sapo National Park, validated the National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and reported measures to strengthen wildlife protection. Several energy projects remain at various stages of completion. The government reported one project at 80 percent completion targeting 50,000 beneficiaries and another at 95 percent targeting 150,000 beneficiaries. Other projects, including work related to Mount Coffee hydropower and the River Gee power system, were reported at 25 percent and 12 percent completion, respectively. Education and Health In education, the government reported recruiting and deploying 2,193 volunteer teachers and training 2,349 teachers, 651 school leaders and 68 education officers. It also processed 1,303 scholarships. In the health sector, construction has begun on two diagnostic centers in Margibi and Bong counties, while the government reported improvements in health-service coverage. Piah said medicine stock-outs had been reduced by 80 percent, while the availability of certified health products increased from 40 percent to 90 percent. The government also reported solar-energy installations at health facilities across all 15 counties. However, Piah acknowledged continuing capacity problems at some health facilities, including shortages that have resulted in some patients being turned away. Despite the government’s reported gains, Piah acknowledged that several key promises and development targets remain outstanding. Unemployment remains high, permanent job creation remains inadequate, rural banking is limited and the Agricultural Development Bank has yet to be established. Rural electrification and productivity also remain constrained, while national digitalization is incomplete. Challenges also persist at the National Identification Registry, while electoral boundary delimitation remains pending. The government further acknowledged limited enforcement capacity, infrastructure deficiencies at the Forestry Training Institute and delays affecting some energy projects. Piah said the administration recognizes the gaps and remains committed to addressing them as the ARREST Agenda is implemented. The government’s two-year assessment presents an administration pointing to improvements in key economic indicators and infrastructure while confronting persistent structural problems, particularly unemployment, rural development, and the pace at which major reforms reach ordinary Liberians.