-President Boakai Threatens
By G. Bennie Bravo Johnson ||
https://www.womenvoicesnewspaper.org/travel-bans-loom-for-underperforming-govt-officials/ President Joseph Boakai has threatened to impose travel bans on the leadership of underperforming government agencies, if they fail to meet performance targets in the next evaluation cycle. The ultimatum came during a ceremony honoring thirteen top-performing institutions under Liberia’s new Performance Management and Compliance System (PMCS).
The President revealed plans for a Presidential Performance Improvement Plan (PPIP) that would trigger automatic travel restrictions for officials of agencies that persistently miss benchmarks. “Public servants must deliver on national obligations before representing Liberia abroad,” Boakai declared, emphasizing the moratorium would only lift upon documented improvement.
Thirteen institutions received presidential commendations for exceeding performance standards during the October 2024-March 2025 assessment period. The Liberia Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (LACRA), Jackson F. Doe Hospital, and Ministry of National Defense emerged as top performers, achieving compliance rates above 90%.
The PMCS evaluation measured three key areas: implementation of Service Delivery Charters (40% weighting), internal management reforms (30%), and responsiveness to citizen feedback (30%). Cabinet Director General Nathaniel Kwabo stressed the system’s objectivity, noting all assessments were conducted by independent evaluators using 47 measurable indicators.
While celebrating the successful agencies, President Boakai set higher expectations for the next cycle beginning July 2025. All ministries must now publish quarterly performance scorecards and reduce citizen complaint resolution times by half. The President warned that chronic underperformers would face consequences beyond travel bans, including budget restrictions and leadership reviews.
Civil society groups immediately praised the tough stance, with the Center for Transparency calling it “a necessary shock to Liberia’s bureaucratic system.” However, some mid-level officials expressed concerns about equitable implementation across urban and rural agencies facing different resource challenges.
The threatened sanctions come as part of Boakai’s broader ARREST Agenda to reform public administration. Analysts note this marks the first time a Liberian administration has systematically linked privileges to measurable performance outcomes.
Underperforming agencies now have until September to demonstrate improvement before the first potential travel restrictions take effect. The President concluded with a pointed message: “In this administration, excuses won’t earn privileges – only results will.”
