Liberia has been named among more than 80 countries under review for potential inclusion in the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) Compact Program for 2026 Fiscal Year. The designation was confirmed in the Candidate Country Report submitted to the U.S. Congress in August this year, consistent with the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003.
As the country poised for MCC Board’s final decision, the government is under moral and sacred obligation to uphold transparency, strengthen institutional reforms to rally more international partnerships. The Act, in part, authorizes the MCC to extend development assistance through multi-year compacts that fund infrastructure, governance reforms, and social programs in partner nations committed to reducing poverty and advancing economic growth.
The report also indicates that countries deemed for qualification, must demonstrate strong democratic governance, economic freedom and investment in human capital, among others. Liberia’s inclusion as a “candidate country” is an important first step. The MCC Board of Directors is expected to proceed with a rigorous policy assessment framework, using corruption control, rule of law, trade policy, health and education spending, as critical indicators before designating final “eligible countries” as beneficiaries for Fiscal Year 2026 compacts.
The MCC will issue two more reports later this year: one detailing the criteria for evaluating policy performance, and another announcing the final list of “eligible countries.” Those selected may then enter into compact negotiations beginning in 2026. “This recognition underscores Liberia’s continued progress towards reform and development,” said a policy observer in Monrovia. “But, if the country transitions from candidate status to full eligibility, strict compliance with transparency drive, rule of law and fiscal discipline , are fundamental,” emphasized other professional and political pundits. Liberia previously benefited from a $257 million MCC compact between 2015 and 2021.
That agreement focused primarily on the energy sector, including the rehabilitation of the Mt. Coffee Hydropower Plant, investments in the Liberia Electricity Corporation, and capacity building for governance and land administration. T Liberia is among 87 nations identified as candidates for FY2026, spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific. Among them are Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, Nepal, Tunisia, and Zambia.
Author: Zac T. Sherman
