Liberia's Second MCC Compact Focuses on Power Transmission and Mining Reform
The commissioning of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant, Liberia's main power source, in December 2016 (file photo; illustrative). Photo: U.S. Embassy Monrovia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Officials aim to finish the joint design of a new U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation compact by mid-2027, with a US$1 million mining survey and a reform study in the pipeline.
Liberia and the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) are building a second compact around electricity transmission, power-sector reform and mining governance, with a target of completing the joint design by mid-2027, The Liberian Investigator reported.
After a two-week consultation mission, Liberia Compact Development Team coordinator Alieu Fuad Nyei said the priority is to find investments and reforms that respond to Liberia's needs. MCC Country Director Kevin George said the agency is not arriving with a predetermined reform agenda, though reform will be central. President Joseph Boakai was reportedly briefed and reaffirmed his government's commitment.
On electricity, options include targeted investment in priority transmission lines and reforms to draw in private investors. On mining, the focus is better geological data, stronger governance and simpler investment procedures. The government plans to set aside US$1 million in the 2027 budget for an airborne survey of the Harper Quadrangle, subject to budget approval. An independent readiness study is due to present reform options in early January 2027.
The first compact invested US$257 million in electricity and roads, including the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant.
The report does not give a funding amount for the new compact.