Summary:
- Ambulah Mamay, a panelist on Spoon Talk, has claimed that the Millennium Challenge Corporation is scaling down, expressing doubt about whether Liberia and other countries would still receive MCC compact grants.
- We have verified this claim by reviewing multiple credible news articles, including Reuters and the New York Times, and found the claim to be mostly correct.
- According to the articles citing a recorded staff meeting and an internal email, MCC employees were told on April 23 that all programs would be discontinued, and staff numbers would be significantly reduced.
Ambulah Mamay, a panelist on Spoon Talk with a Facebook user name Gbarpoluboy Ambulah, has claimed that the Millennium Challenge Corporation is scaling down. While making the assertion, he expressed uncertainty that Liberia and other countries would not receive MCC grants.
Mamay made this claim in a Facebook post on April 23, while urging the Liberian government to adopt measures that increase revenue collection, reduce expenditures, and invest more wisely in productive sectors.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. government foreign aid agency launched by former U.S President George W. Bush in 2004 to reduce poverty and promote economic growth around the world. \
The agency works by providing large-scale grants (called compacts) to countries that meet certain criteria related to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in their citizens.
In December last year, MCC selected Liberia as one of the eligible countries to develop a compact.
The Claim
Mr. Mamay’s exact post reads: “The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) scaling Down! DODGE sent out an email 2day. MCC grant for Liberia and other countries in the air! Liberia must look internally: Reduce Cost, increase revenue, and invest wisely in productive areas.”
Rating Justification
To fact-check this claim, we conducted an online search to determine whether MCC is scaling down.
We found multiple credible news outlets, including Reuters and The New York Times, reporting that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an office established by current U.S. President Donald Trump, informed MCC staff that the agency’s operations would be shut down.
According to the Reuters article citing a recorded staff meeting and an internal email, MCC employees were told on Wednesday, April 23, that all programs would be discontinued and staff numbers would be significantly reduced.
The New York Times also reported on April 23 that the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, visited the Millennium Challenge Corporation last week; thereafter, an email was sent alerting employees that the organization would be heavily downsized.
According to the article, employees of the MCC were told in the email that they would be offered early retirement or deferred resignation.
The MCC and the White House, according to the news outlets, declined to comment on the planned cuts at the agency.
Conclusion
Based on a review of these credible news reports, we conclude that Mamey’s claim that MCC is scaling down, expressing uncertainty that Liberia and other countries would not receive MCC grants, is mostly correct.
According to the Reuters News Agency and The New York Times, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has informed MCC staff that all programs would be discontinued and staff numbers significantly reduced.
