The Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), Simeon Freeman, has proposed an unprecedented transformation of the Executive Mansion, announcing that he would convert the nation’s most symbolic political building into a five-star hotel if elected President of Liberia. Addressing the press, Freeman argued that the current use of the Mansion is inefficient, noting that the Office of the President can be effectively operated from other government facilities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and additional administrative buildings.
“I will turn the Executive Mansion into a five-star hotel when I become President,” Freeman said. “What’s the essence of that building being occupied by the Ministry of State? The presidency can run from existing ministries, while the Mansion can be used to generate revenue for the country.” Freeman believes the conversion would boost tourism, attract international visitors, and position the historic structure as a revenue-producing asset rather than a cost center. He emphasized that Liberia must rethink the economic value of its public properties and modernize how national assets are utilized.
Statement by Gbarpolu County Senator Amara M. Konneh on The Draft FY2026 Budget: Good morning, my fellow Liberians. Now that we have had the opportunity to review the draft budget, I join many Liberians in expressing gratitude to the Government of Liberia for presenting a national budget that exceeds $1 billion for the first time in our history. This milestone symbolizes fiscal expansion and shows growing confidence in our public financial management systems. I congratulate President Joseph Boakai and Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan on this achievement.
I hope you take the time to read my statement in its entirety to appreciate my message. As a former Finance Minister and current Senator, I am committed to providing a fair, principled, and apolitical assessment of the draft budget to my colleagues on the Ways and Means, Finance, and Budget Committee, as well as in the Senate, which I will deliver in the coming days, with a particular focus on education and health sectors. This budget expansion must be focused and disciplined, as the FY2026 budget reveals initial contradictions that threaten its credibility and developmental impact.
The FY2026 budget should go beyond incremental increases and align strategically with AAID priorities to ensure that fiscal expansion yields inclusive, sustainable development outcomes that foster economic growth and create jobs for our citizens. Misalignment with AAID Priorities The ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) framework outlines a $1.68 billion investment need across priority sectors in FY2026. However, the draft FY2026 budget allocates only $594 million from domestic and external resources toward those sectors, leaving a funding gap of $1.08 billion. This gap indicates a disconnect between Liberia’s stated development goals and its actual fiscal choices.
The Legislature must address this issue. Furthermore, it appears our Development Partners continue to shoulder the majority of our development efforts. Of the $594 million allocated to AAID sectors, $313 million comes from external resources, while the government contributes $281 million. This means external financing now exceeds domestic commitment, raising concerns about national ownership and long-term sustainability. I am confident that we can stay within the projected $880 million spending plan for FY2025 and allocate new revenues into investments that expand the economy and support the budget next year.
That would be a public investment of nearly $400 million of our own money, which, when properly aligned with the government’s AAID, will help the government aggressively achieve its priorities. Budget trends over the past three years reveal a worrying pattern: Social Development Services is declining; the only sector with a negative CAGR (–4%). CAGR stands for Compound Annual Growth Rate. This decrease undermines Liberia’s commitment to inclusive development, leaving vulnerable populations behind. $1.2 billion is a significant amount. Last Thursday, disabled Liberians blocked traffic leading to the Capitol and Executive Mansion to demand attention to their plight. We must act to address their needs in the FY2026 budget. Additionally, health and education are underperforming, with CAGRs of +10% and +8% respectively, growing more slowly than the overall budget (+18%).
These sectors are vital to human capital development, but they lag behind capital-intensive sectors. Healthcare Spending is Underfunded and Uneven The proposed FY2026 health sector budget totals $101.7 million, resulting in a national per capita allocation of $19.37, which is well below global benchmarks. More troubling is the disparity in county-level allocations. Montserrado and Nimba receive over $6 per person, while counties like Gbarpolu (my county), Grand Bassa, Sinoe, and Bomi get less than $1.50. This imbalance undermines inclusive development and risks deepening regional health inequalities.
Preventive services are also underfunded, and administrative costs are rising faster than service delivery. We must rebalance this budget to prioritize equitable access, preventive care, and infrastructure investments across all counties. The FY2026 education budget increases to $132.9 million, but its 12% growth rate trails the overall fiscal expansion. Spending remains centralized, with the University of Liberia and payroll under Fiscal Affairs absorbing over 60% of sector resources. Early childhood education receives only $20,000, and national basic education allocations have decreased since fiscal year 2024. Basic and Secondary Education: Growth Without Equity. While the Monrovia Consolidated School System expands sharply to $7.2 million in FY2026, this growth is concentrated in the capital.
Rural counties, however, receive less than $100,000, leaving most Liberian children outside Monrovia, especially in counties in Western and Southeastern Liberia, underfunded. This urban bias favors Montserrado, while the funding proposals for basic and secondary education stagnate. County community colleges and teacher training institutes exhibit modest growth but are significantly underfunded compared to central institutions in the larger counties. Funding for higher education has expanded, but vocational and technical education has remained stagnant, weakening Liberia’s skilled workforce and its ability to meet labor market demands.
To promote inclusive development, Liberia must rebalance education spending toward equity, foundational learning, and skills development, ensuring all counties and children benefit. The draft FY2026 budget allocates $151.8 million to rule of law and security institutions, a 38% increase from FY2024. The Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, and NSA collectively receive over $117 million, with the NSA's share increasing by $8.8 million and the Justice Ministry's share by nearly $20 million. In contrast, education increases only 25% to $132.9 million, and health by 33% to $101.7 million, despite their vital roles in human capital development.
This suggests Liberia is expanding its enforcement capacity faster than its foundational services. What is needed is a smarter security budget that emphasizes operational capacity, interagency coordination, and measurable results without this, increasing funding risks becoming bureaucratic overhead rather than producing genuine improvements in justice, safety, and public trust. We must remember that fundamental improvements in the security sector primarily come from investments outside of it, in areas such as education, health, social services, and job creation initiatives. Payroll expenses are rising despite stagnant workforce numbers: the total number of civil servant full-time equivalents remains at 61,498, with total compensation increasing by $13.4 million (+4.2%).
Table 6 of the draft budget displays SOE revenues, but these figures are not included in the main revenue tables. Moreover, apart from the Liberia Maritime Authority and, to a lesser extent, LPRC, many SOEs have not contributed to the FY25 budget as expected. We need a budget that enforces SOE contributions into the consolidated revenue and clarifies their roles in execution and forecasting. Better corporate governance of these institutions is crucial to ensure that they perform their functions efficiently while making optimal contributions to the government budget. Recommendations for Colleagues in the Legislature 1. Realign the Budget with AAID Priorities.
Use pillar-based tagging to track allocations against AAID sectors systematically. This will assess whether resources align with national priorities and help rebalance spending on health, education, and social development, which remain underfunded relative to AAID goals. It will also boost transparency and accountability. 2. Strengthen Domestic Ownership of Development. Set minimum domestic contribution thresholds for AAID sectors to reduce dependence on external funding. This will ensure sustainability, lessen vulnerability to donor changes, and demonstrate Liberia’s commitment to inclusive growth. 3. Incorporate SOE Contributions.
Incorporate SOE revenues into the national budget to increase fiscal space and ensure public enterprises contribute to development priorities. This will improve predictability, reduce fragmentation, and align SOE performance with national fiscal objectives. 4. Ultimately, we must utilize this budget to foster wealth creation for Liberian entrepreneurs, the driving force behind our growth potential and the bread that supports households in the circular flow of the economy. The Small Business Empowerment Act mandates that at least 25% of government procurement be set aside for Liberian-owned businesses.
Frankly, the government has not effectively enforced the 25% procurement law, raising concerns about its implementation and the lack of data on its effectiveness. This has got to change! I look forward to working with all stakeholders to make this FY26 Budget work for Liberians. It doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you are on; every single aspect of our country and our future depends on getting the FY26 budget right. I am confident that we will do just that.
