By: Julius Konton
Liberia’s Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has formally launched a five-day Public Expenditure Review (PER) Validation Workshop in Kakata City, Margibi County, marking a pivotal step in the government’s effort to strengthen fiscal discipline, improve value for money, and enhance transparency in public spending.
The workshop, led by the Department of Economic Management, brings together senior government officials, technical experts, development partners, and sector representatives to validate findings from the PER one of the most comprehensive assessments of how public resources are allocated and utilized across the country.
A High-Stakes Review of National Spending
Opening the workshop, Assistant Minister for Economic Management, Henry D. Z. Yanquoi, described the validation exercise as a “critical milestone” in finalizing the PER, which evaluates expenditure trends, spending efficiency, and alignment with Liberia’s national development priorities.
“The Public Expenditure Review is not merely a technical document,” Minister Yanquoi said. “It is a strategic tool that helps government understand where resources are delivering impact and where reforms are urgently needed to improve outcomes for the Liberian people.”
According to preliminary MFDP analysis, public expenditure accounts for more than one-quarter of Liberia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with recurrent spending particularly wages and operatinal costs consuming a significant share of the national budget.
The PER seeks to determine whether these expenditures are translating into measurable improvements in service delivery, especially in education, health, and social protection, which together absorb a substantial portion of annual government spending.
Data Validation to Strengthen Credibility
Minister Yanquoi emphasized that the validation workshop is designed to ensure accuracy, balance, and policy relevance of the PER findings.
Participants are expected to scrutinize sectoral data, assess assumptions, and confirm conclusions before the report is finalized and published.
“The credibility of the PER depends on collective ownership,” he noted. “This process allows institutions to contribute technical expertise, identify data gaps, and ensure that the final report reflects Liberia’s real fiscal and development challenges.”
Globally, studies by international financial institutions indicate that inefficiencies in public spending can cost developing countries between 20 and 30 percent of budgetary resources.
Liberia’s PER aims to quantify similar inefficiencies at the national level and propose corrective measures tailored to local realities.
Focus on Domestic Revenue and Fiscal Sustainability
A major theme of the workshop is domestic resource mobilization, as Liberia continues to face tight fiscal space amid rising social needs and infrastructure demands.
While domestic revenues have improved in recent years, they still fall short of fully financing priority development programs, increasing reliance on external support.
Minister Yanquoi underscored that the PER provides a roadmap for prudent fiscal management, helping policymakers identify areas where spending can be reallocated or streamlined to support sustainable economic growth, reduce fiscal leakages, and improve accountability.
In the education and social services sectors alone, preliminary expenditure reviews suggest that outcomes have not always kept pace with spending increases, highlighting the need for better targeting, stronger monitoring, and results-based budgeting.
Call for Engagement and Reform Ownership
The Assistant Minister urged participants to remain fully engaged throughout the five-day exercise, stressing that open dialogue and constructive feedback are essential to the success of the PER.
“This is a reform owned by all of us,” he said. “The recommendations that emerge from this process will shape fiscal policy decisions and budget reforms in the years ahead.”
The MFDP Department of Economic Management expressed appreciation to participating institutions for their cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to provide additional technical clarification where necessary to ensure the successful completion and public release of the PER.
Once finalized, the Public Expenditure Review is expected to serve as a key reference document for budget planning, public financial management reforms, and engagement with development partners, reinforcing Liberia’s broader agenda for transparency, efficiency, and inclusive development.
