Liberia: MFDP Minister Ngafuan Reveals National Envelope Remains Inadequate to Address Competing Development Priorities Hands-On - FrontPageAfrica

Monrovia – Despite the evolution of the national budget to cross the billion-dollar mark for the first time in the history of the country, Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, says there is immense pressure to meet the diverse needs of the population.  

By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway

Although the budget has seen significant growth, the MFDP Minister, while speaking at the official launch of the Nationwide FY 2026 Budget outreach by the MFDP in Kakata, Margibi County over the weekend, acknowledged that available resources are still insufficient to satisfy every agency’s request for funding in sectors like infrastructure, agriculture, and education.

Held under the theme: “Empowering Citizens, Strengthening Accountability:  Building Liberia’s Future Through Inclusive Budgeting,” the activity is a product of the Open Budget Initiative (OBI).

As he performed the official launch, Minister Ngafuan emphasized that government is striving to balance fiscal constraints with commitment to national progress and inclusive governance.

“You know, people felt that the passage of a US$1 billion budget means we got what we need. But do we say that all the aspirations, the interests of the population have been addressed by this $1.3 billion budget? Oh! no. We’re pushing. We’re pushing and will remain pushing. And by God’s grace and hard work, we will cross the $2 billion mark,” said Minister Ngafuan.

“But even when we reach two billion, three billion, will we have the resources to solve all the problems, the demand, the quest of life? No, no, we won’t. But I like the fact that we are put under pressure to do more.”

While competition for state funds is fierce among various ministers, agencies and public corporations, he noted that the OBI drive is a sign of proactive leadership by this government as he highlighted a shift toward greater transparency and public engagement by moving away from past secrecy to include citizens and local leaders in the fiscal process.

The MFDP Minister believes that much has been done, stating the country has moved d giant steps forward towards its development trajectory just within less than three years of this administration and  that there are efforts underway to push higher, even though there are enormous challenges compounded by the need to achieve more.

Amid criticisms of the government in some quarters of the Liberian society, he argues that a country’s status is defined by the observer’s chosen perspective, and as such, the administration remains undeterred and focused with its development plans.  

He pointed out that even wealthy nations like the United States face issues with poverty and sanitation.

“Progress sometimes lies on the perspective of a person who is looking. The first time I went to the United States, somebody told me something and I doubted. The person said, come and go and see a street where you will see a dumpsite in the street; you will see poverty in the street. And we went there and I saw it, I saw poverty, I saw people begging me for money in the richest country and I took some pictures.”

“I went to New York. I went to Chicago, Minnesota. I took some pictures, too. So when I came back to Liberia, I had a choice to show what America is. If I wanted to be slanted and negative, I would have shown the picture of the dirt in the street, the man begging me and I would have said this is America and I would have given them a war perspective of the reality,” he asserted.

But in acknowledgement that still faces significant challenges, Minister Ngafuan reckons that the nation has made measurable progress compared to its past and is on a clear upward trajectory, highlighting strategic investments in infrastructure, education, and debt management as key drivers for long-term national credibility and growth.

He mentioned that the administration maintains a commitment to democratic transparency and listening to its citizens to improve future outcomes.

Minister Ngafuan furthered that amid the dangling challenges, the current administration has outperformed its predecessor and will do more in the coming years.

“If you are an A student and took a test that people are scoring Ds and you scored B, people think that you haven’t done well because they expected A. Anyone can find one or two places that we need to do better and we are humbled enough to say yes, we need to do better in this respect and we will work to make things better every year.”

“That’s why we usually say we have not reached our destination on a development journey, but we are not where we used to be. We are not Today Liberia versus yesterday Liberia, there is a material difference. Today is better than yesterday. And from all what we are doing, tomorrow will be better today and the day after tomorrow will be better than tomorrow. That’s the path we are on. We’re investing in electricity. We’re putting money and money and money. We are investing in education,” the MFDP Minister added.  

The launch of the nationwide outreach was attended by a cross session of citizens of Margibi County, including traditional leaders, civil society organizations, students and women groupings among other.

In response to remarks by the Chairman of the CSO Council in Margibi County, Edward Travis, regarding citizens’ full participation in the planning process of the National Budget, Mr. Ngafuan disclosed that the government, through MFDP has outlined a plan to do so.

Travis, who is also a member of the County Council, had craved government to involve citizens in the formulation process of the budget so that their pressing needs and development priorities would be brought forth.

However, the MFDP boss announced that a nationwide outreach campaign aimed at gathering citizens’ views and recommendations ahead of the preparation of the country’s 2027 national budget is already on the plate of the government and would kick off ‘very soon.’

He explained that the budget team will travel across Liberia’s 15 counties to engage communities, educate citizens about the budget process and collect public input on national development priorities.

According to the Minister, the initiative is part of the government’s effort to strengthen transparency and deepen democratic participation in public financial management.

“The constitution provides for citizen participation. After this launch, our people are going across the counties of Liberia to listen and also to inform.”

He indicated that outreach teams from the MFDP will simultaneously educate citizens on how the national budget is developed while documenting the concerns and expectations of ordinary Liberians for consideration in the 2027 fiscal plan.

“They will be informing you about the budget as we have it, and they will also be listening to you, taking notes for the preparation of the new budget,” he intimated.

He said the Open Budget Initiative was introduced to break what he described as a long-standing culture of secrecy surrounding Liberia’s national budget.

“Previously, the budget was between the President and the MFDP Minister.  The public only got to know after the budget was passed. Now there is engagement before the budget presentation.”