Published: November 19, 2025
Freeman questioned why the National Housing and Savings Bank, which he described as nonfunctional, still appears in the budget.
BREWERVILLE — Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) Political Leader Simeon Freeman has delivered one of the sharpest rebukes yet of the government’s proposed US$1.21 billion national budget, branding it “inflated, deceptive and divorced from the economic suffering Liberians face every day.”
By Blamo N. Toe and Gibson Gee
In a blistering critique Tuesday, Freeman said the Boakai administration is presenting a misleading picture of fiscal strength by labeling the package a US$1.21 billion budget when actual projections total roughly US$1.4 billion, including more than US$200 million he says is tucked off-budget and dependent on uncertain donor inflows.
“This budget gives Liberians a false sense of fiscal strength,” Freeman said. “Money meant for health, education and real development is instead being funneled into institutions that do absolutely nothing.”
Freeman displayed a list of 37 government entities he claims receive millions of dollars annually while producing “little or no measurable output.”
‘Dormant Agencies Eating Millions’
Freeman questioned why the National Housing and Savings Bank, which he described as nonfunctional, still appears in the budget. He said the National Transit Authority continues to receive taxpayer funding even though it “should be self-sustaining.”
He criticized the National Housing Authority for failing to build “a single new housing unit in years,” and questioned what tangible value is delivered by the Ministry of Commerce, the National Insurance Corporation of Liberia, the Free Zone Authority, and the National Bureau of Concessions.
“If this budget is truly about impact, then agencies adding no value should not be taking millions while our hospitals are collapsing,” he said.
MCC Performance and Labor Ministry Under Fire
Freeman tied Liberia’s weak Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) performance to what he called an inefficient and misaligned government structure.
He singled out the Ministry of Labor, saying it plays the role of a “quasi-courtroom” rather than a labor-management institution.
“Ask them how many Liberians are employed, they can’t tell you,” he said. “But they can tell you how many foreigners are here because that’s where the money is.”
Health Systems ‘Starved of Funding’
Freeman said the budget severely underfunds county health systems. He pointed to Grand Bassa County, with nearly 300,000 residents, receiving “less than US$100,000 for its entire health structure.”
“That alone tells you our priorities are misplaced,” he said.
He added that the National Veterans Bureau, National Commission on Disabilities and the Disaster Management Agency continue to receive allocations despite delivering “very little in return.”
‘Presidential Spending Out of Control’
Freeman accused the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs and the Executive Protection Service of absorbing US$24 million combined, spending he described as “wanton and unnecessary.”
“This budget is all about President Boakai himself,” he asserted.
He sharply criticized the Liberia Electricity Corporation and Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation for what he said is decades of inefficiency.
“Everyone pays current and water bills, yet these institutions never pay anything back into the national budget,” he said.
Questionable Projections and Rising Taxes
Freeman said the revenue side of the draft budget is built on “over-ambitious and unrealistic assumptions,” including US$200 million expected from the unresolved ArcelorMittal Liberia agreement and US$10 million anticipated from asset recovery.
“How do you reflect asset recovery revenue when no court has ruled and the process can take years?” he asked.
He warned that the transition from General Sales Tax to a 15 percent Value Added Tax will further drive up prices.
“You haven’t restored harmonized salaries, but you are increasing taxes on people who can barely survive,” he said.
No Budget Performance Report Since 2023
Freeman criticized the government for failing to publish a Budget Performance Report since 2023 — a key accountability instrument required under the Public Financial Management Law.
“New budgets are passed every year without any assessment of previous allocations,” he said.
He also pointed to what he described as politically skewed allocations within counties, saying smaller districts receive disproportionate support because “their sons occupy key positions at the Ministry of Finance.”
Housing Authority, Regulatory Agencies Under Scrutiny
Returning to the National Housing Authority, Freeman said it “has not built meaningful public housing since the Sirleaf administration.”
He also cited the Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority, Rural Renewable Energy Agency, Water Hygiene and Sanitation Commission, Forestry Training Institute and the Agriculture Industrial Training Bureau as institutions “taking millions without meaningful output.”
“These agencies don’t do anything, but they continue to drain public funds,” he said.
“Government Spending Like Drunken Sailors”
Freeman said the government’s fiscal behavior resembles “drunken sailors,” urging President Boakai to strengthen the Internal Audit Agency and General Auditing Commission.
He again criticized LEC’s US$50 million allocation and LWSC’s funding, reiterating that both institutions “contribute nothing to national revenue.”
Call for PFM Law Reform
Freeman called for urgent amendments to the Public Financial Management Law to curb unrealistic revenue projections and close loopholes that encourage waste.
He questioned the Liberia Broadcasting System’s US$9 million allocation, saying the broadcaster “limits citizens’ freedom to express independent views” while failing to justify its budget.
He also criticized what he called “lavish and unnecessary spending” on Executive Mansion maintenance.
“As president, I would turn the Executive Mansion into a five-star hotel,” he said, arguing the presidency could operate from smaller, more efficient facilities.
Drawing from his experience as CEO of DSTV Liberia, Freeman said streamlined systems — not bloated bureaucracies — deliver results.
“With over 5,000 employees across Africa, I don’t even have a special assistant,” he said. “A laptop is here; departments work.”
Freeman’s Bottom Line
Freeman ended by calling for a complete overhaul of the national budget, urging the Boakai administration to redirect resources toward programs that directly improve people’s lives.
“It is time for public resources to begin working for the people,” he said. “Not for institutions that add no value.”
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