Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan
-- Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan on Thursday said the Boakai administration is addressing Liberia's debt burden, payroll issues, and inflation pressures with "deliberate and disciplined" policies, but warned that the country's deep-rooted economic problems cannot be fixed overnight.
During a media interview in Monrovia, Ngafuan stated that the government inherited "a challenging situation," including $83 million in debt and a civil service payroll still affected by inefficiencies he has been fighting since his early days in public service.
The Minister, a former Budget Director, recalled the original payroll cleanup over ten years ago, especially the introduction of direct deposit for teachers. He mentioned that many teachers, used to unpredictable hand-carried payments, initially thought their accurate pay slips were banking errors. That event, he said, highlights why reform remains a challenging task.
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I'm very committed to pay increases. I believe we should compensate people to motivate them to perform their best," he said. But he emphasized that expectations must remain realistic. "We can't do it overnight. That's all we say. It is a goal--and a break in harmony is not the end.
No Confirmed MCC Compact Amount
Ngafuan dismissed public speculation that Liberia has already secured hundreds of millions under the new MCC compact. He said no final figures exist because the MCC Board has not yet finished reaffirming Liberia.
"We don't have an amount from the MCC," he said plainly. "The MCC Board is expected to reaffirm us soon. Once that happens, we sit down together and determine the priorities."
He said the MCC team that recently visited Monrovia showed strong interest in the energy sector but insisted that any figure, whether US$100 million or US$500 million, would be a significant improvement over the current state.
"We have zero now, right? Zero versus 100 million, you'll take 100 million," he said.
"Year of Engineers"
The Finance Minister announced that the administration will make a significant effort on infrastructure by expanding and professionalizing its technical workforce.
"We're bringing in an additional 200 engineers. We're also going to increase the salary of engineers," he said. "This year is the year of engineers."
He said the 2024 priority was healthcare workers, and this year will also include volunteer teachers and traditional chiefs on the payroll as part of a broader public-sector rebalancing.
Roads, Agriculture and Inflation
Ngafuan stated that the administration's road program is more than just an infrastructure project--it serves as an economic stabilizer. He argued that improved access allows more domestic food to reach urban markets and directly helps control inflation.
"Food price is a major component of the basket in inflation calculation," he explained. "The more we put into roads, it appears that we're doing it just for roads. No. We're doing it for agriculture and all the others."
Liberia's inflation rate, he noted, currently "hovers around five percent," a level low enough for the country to pass the MCC inflation indicator--a key requirement for compact eligibility.
Ngafuan confirmed that the House of Representatives has approved funding for building over 100 new schools across the country. He stated that increasing access to education remains a key part of the Boakai administration's poverty reduction strategy.
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Debt and Payroll Reform
Ngafuan reiterated that the administration inherited about US$83 million in national debt obligations, along with payroll issues that date back years. He stated that the government is working on improving spending discipline and tightening payroll systems to prevent fraud and duplication.
He described the reforms as difficult but necessary. "As the economy grows, we'll solve this problem," he said. "But we cannot do it in one day."
Ngafuan urged Liberians to measure progress not by quick fixes but by structural improvements that reduce leakages, restore credibility and build long-term resilience.
"We inherited a challenging situation," he said. "But we are moving in the right direction."
