By: Julius Konton
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has officially commenced its five-year Strategic Plan Development External Stakeholders Engagement, marking the beginning of a sweeping agenda to modernize Liberia’s financial systems, strengthen public sector efficiency, and enhance national service delivery.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan described the strategy as a “robust, forward-looking framework” designed to guide the Ministry’s institutional transformation from 2025 to 2030.
Minister Ngafuan said the five-year plan is anchored on several core pillars:
Modernizing Liberia’s financial systems and infrastructure
Strengthening public financial management (PFM) capacity and professionalism
Improving fiscal reporting and accounting standards across government
Advancing strategic debt management and resource mobilization
Digitizing human resources and promoting workplace diversity and inclusion
Enhancing nationwide service delivery through technology-driven solutions
He emphasized that digital transformation will play a critical role in reducing delays, improving transparency, and fully digitizing the government workforce to meet global public administration standards.
Ngafuan disclosed that the Ministry is holding early-stage discussions on constructing a new MFDP headquarters, a move he says will improve operational efficiency and create a modern workspace that reflects the Ministry’s reform ambitions.
He also highlighted the need to revise the MFDP Act, noting that several functions currently fall below ministerial authority and require restructuring.
“We need to upgrade certain functions that are not aligned at the ministerial level, introduce new operational mechanisms, and strengthen the independence of the Comptroller and Accountant General,” he stated.
Ngafuan stressed teamwork and accountability as essential for delivering on the Ministry’s strategic commitments.
Referencing the historic 2026 national budget, the Minister clarified that the core national budget stands at
US$1.011 billion, excluding the one-time US$200 million signature bonus from ArcelorMittal Liberia.
“We Are on Course” Ngafuan reemphasized.
He expressed confidence in the Ministry’s direction, saying: “I think we are on course.”
The engagement forms part of broader consultations bringing together government agencies, development partners, civil society actors, and financial sector stakeholders to validate and refine the Ministry’s five-year roadmap.
