Published: June 25, 2025
MONROVIA — Civil society organizations, backed by ActionAid Liberia, have presented a joint communiqué to the Government of Liberia, calling for sweeping reforms to boost domestic revenue, reclaim public resources, and ensure inclusive, equitable financing for development.
The presentation followed a one-day National Public Dialogue on Domestic Resource Mobilization and Financing for Development, held Tuesday at a local hotel in Monrovia. The event brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, and the international community.
The communiqué, described as a unified “call to action,” outlines challenges undermining Liberia’s revenue generation and offers policy recommendations to strengthen fiscal governance and align national development strategies with human rights principles.
Rising Debt, Shrinking Support, and Failing Services
Reading on behalf of the group, Narvin Ireland, head of the CSO Budget Platform, highlighted urgent concerns raised during the dialogue. He cited declining foreign aid, growing debt burdens, and poor public services as pressing issues.
“Liberia, like many countries in the Global South, is experiencing a drastic decline in international support,” the communiqué stated. “For example, USAID assistance has dropped by over 90%, while support from the U.K. and other donors is being redirected toward domestic priorities.”
The CSOs warned that the government is increasingly locked into a debt-servicing cycle, spending more on creditors than on key sectors like education, health, and agriculture.
Citing ActionAid’s 2024 report, the group said Liberia now spends more on debt than on health and education combined — a trend they say worsens poverty, inequality, and social exclusion.
Despite the extractive industry accounting for over 50% of GDP, it contributes just 16% of domestic revenue, the communiqué revealed. This disparity is due in part to excessive tax incentives, lax enforcement, and opaque concession agreements.
As debt servicing obligations grow, CSOs say the government is turning more aggressively to resource exploitation, resulting in environmental degradation and heightened vulnerability to climate change.
The communiqué also cited findings from ActionAid’s “Stretched Thin” and “The Human Cost of Public Services” reports, which detail how weak public financing has eroded essential services. Women and girls, it said, bear the brunt of these failures through unpaid care work and gender-based exclusion.
Additionally, the communiqué spotlighted a $359.55 million climate financing gap under Liberia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 2.0), warning of the lack of gender-responsive planning and the exclusion of vulnerable communities from climate resilience efforts.
The CSOs also criticized austerity-driven policies imposed by international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
“These austerity measures compromise state capacity and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, especially women and children,” the communiqué stated.
A Call to Action
“In light of the urgent challenges identified, we, the undersigned civil society organizations and partners, hereby issue a unified and resolute call to action,” the communiqué declared.
It urged the Liberian government to reject fiscal policies imposed by international lenders, such as spending cuts, wage bill caps, and privatization of essential services.
“Instead, Liberia must pursue sovereign, rights-based economic policies that prioritize inclusive development and public welfare over externally driven reforms that undermine progress,” it added.
The group also called for:
- Progressive and fair tax reforms to curb illicit financial flows
- Digital modernization of tax and customs administration
- Overhaul of extractive sector taxation and governance
- Gender-responsive public services
- Improved debt management and fiscal accountability
- Expansion of civic space and political inclusion
- Advocacy for comprehensive debt cancellation and global financial reform through a United Nations framework on sovereign debt
“We call upon the Government of Liberia, regional blocs, and development partners to realign financing systems with the needs of the people,” the communiqué read. “It is time for a new social contract—where public resources serve the public good and development is defined by justice, not just GDP.”
ActionAid Emphasizes Self-Reliance and Capacity Building
In brief remarks, ActionAid Liberia Country Director Elizabeth Gbah-Johnson urged civil society and the government to focus on building internal capacity rather than relying solely on international donors.
“We are intentional about strengthening the capacity of both civil society and national institutions,” Gbah-Johnson said. “This dialogue is not a one-off—it is part of a broader development engagement.”
She emphasized that effective change requires collaboration across all sectors and a shared commitment to long-term solutions.
Government Acknowledges Revenue Losses, Pushes Digitization
Responding on behalf of the government, Assistant Finance Minister for Debt Management Alice Williams welcomed the communiqué and acknowledged revenue shortfalls in critical sectors such as the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, the Liberia Revenue Authority, and the mining industry.
“These are areas where we’re losing substantial revenue,” Williams said. “The government is working hard to digitize these sectors and equip them to enhance domestic revenue and support essential services.”
She also called on CSOs to take greater ownership in tracking donor-funded projects.
“Should donors be the ones monitoring the projects?” she asked. “We need to take responsibility. This is our country and our future.”
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