Boakai Restricts Foreign Travel By Liberian Officials

President Joseph Boakai’s directive covers all foreign trips undertaken by ministers, heads of agencies and commissions, ambassadors, and other senior officials. In a statement, the presidency said excessive travel has affected Cabinet participation and disrupted government operations. The directive states that no government official may embark on official foreign travel without the President’s express prior approval.

The government has, meanwhile, introduced a Virtual Participation First Policy, which requires officials to prioritize participation in international meetings through platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Physical attendance at conferences will only be approved when it is “demonstrably necessary” and “clearly in Liberia’s national interest”, the presidency said.