Published: October 2, 2026
MONROVIA – Liberian ministries and agencies will not get everything they ask for in the 2027 budget, Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan warned Thursday, as the government prepares to lose about US$200 million in one-time revenue that strengthened this year’s collections.
Ngafuan delivered the warning as the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning opened the 2027 Executive Budget Hearings, where government institutions account for their 2026 performance and outline their priorities for next year. The hearings run through Oct. 9.
Institutions that ask for more than the government can provide must decide which programs matter most and where to cut spending, Ngafuan said.
“If you wanted 100 and we only gave you 70,” he said, the institution’s leadership should determine how to adjust its plans while protecting its key activities.
He said the government must manage both revenue and expenditure and urged institutions to be realistic about what they can fund. He also called on institutional budget committees to play a stronger role in reviewing priorities and preparing realistic proposals before ministries appear before the national budget team.
The opening session heard from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Special Presidential Project Coordinating Committee and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission.
Ngafuan praised the Mines Ministry for exceeding its 2026 revenue target and recognized the mining sector’s contribution to government revenue.
“You’ve done well. You’ve whetted the Liberian people’s appetite. They want us to do more,” he told ministry officials.
But he cautioned that this year’s performance cannot simply be repeated in 2027, because the one-time inflow of about US$200 million will not be available next year. The government will have to find other ways to close that gap while ministries and agencies continue to press for funding.
The Mines Ministry’s deputy minister for operations said the ministry had “set the bar high” and understood the challenge of maintaining strong revenue performance next year.
He said a Mining Revenue Task Force involving the Mines Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Liberia Revenue Authority is being organized to improve coordination and strengthen revenue collection. The Central Bank of Liberia is also expected to take part.
The deputy minister said mining remains an important source of potential revenue, although increased production and investment do not always translate into immediate revenue gains. He acknowledged that the US$200 million one-off inflow would not return next year.
“We must do everything possible to be able to cover that gap,” he said.
Ministries and agencies will continue to appear before the budget team through Oct. 9 to explain their 2026 performance and defend their priorities. The hearings will help the Finance Ministry decide how to allocate limited resources before the budget is submitted to the Legislature.
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