- Dr. Clarence Moniba is demanding that President Joseph Boakai recall the entire US$1.2 billion national budget and immediately establish a minimum salary of US$500 for civil servants, calling the government "too bloated to serve its own people."
Moniba stated that Liberia's public payroll crisis is due to a lack of political will rather than limited fiscal space, arguing that the government continues to fund an "oversized and inefficient" system of 104 ministries, agencies, and commissions at the expense of ordinary workers. He insists Liberia needs no more than 50 institutions -- a restructuring he says would free up $300-$400 million currently spent on goods, services, and administrative overhead.
"It is unacceptable that in 2025, more than 40,000 civil servants earn below US$200," he said. "Democracy was never intended for political appointees and lawmakers to eat first, second and third while the people suffer."
Moniba stated that the draft 2026 budget reveals the high cost of government excess: out of the US$1.2 billion budget, US$929.6 million is allocated to recurring expenses, including nearly US$200 million for goods and services. The US$329 million designated for employee compensation, he mentioned, mainly benefits senior officials, with about 70 percent going to ministers, deputies, commissioners, and advisers. Meanwhile, over 60 percent of civil servants earn less than US$200 monthly, often needing to pay rent, feed their families, and cover transportation costs with that amount.
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"When government operations consume so much of the national budget, the government is simply too big to succeed," he said.
As part of his proposed restructuring, Moniba outlined several consolidations. He stated that the Ministry of Mines and Energy should be merged into a single Ministry of Natural Resources, absorbing the National Oil Company of Liberia, the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and the Forestry Development Authority. According to him, this arrangement would improve oversight and eliminate duplicate regulatory systems.
He also proposed transforming the Ministry of Agriculture into a Ministry of Food Security by uniting CARI, the Produce Marketing Corporation, the National Fisheries Authority, the Cooperative Development Agency, national seed programs and food safety units under one umbrella. This, he said, would strengthen agricultural productivity, promote value addition and reduce Liberia's dependence on imported food.
Moniba further contended that the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be abolished and replaced with a Commission on Local Government to fully implement the Local Government Act and decentralize power to counties and districts. Additionally, he stated that the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation should be dissolved and merged into a National Digital Service Commission responsible for overseeing digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and a unified e-government platform.
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He said these reforms would modernize governance, reduce fragmentation and redirect millions toward salaries and development.
"These are just a few examples of cost-cutting measures that could change the fate of our nation," Moniba said. "No government can succeed when it consumes the resources meant for its own people. Reduce the size, raise the wages, and Liberia will finally be able to move forward."
