Liberia: Senate Assures Passage of U.S.$45m Budget, Additional Banknotes Printing

Capitol Hill, April 15, 2026: Liberia's Senate Pro-Tempore, Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence, has assured the Executive Branch of the Senate's commitment to approve President Joseph N. Boakai's proposed US$45 million supplementary budget and the authorization for printing additional banknotes.

The assurance was given on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, following the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) 's submission of the Draft FY2026 Supplementary Budget to the Liberian Senate.

The submission was made in keeping with Section 23.1 of the Amended and Restated Public Financial Management Law of 2009.

For his part, Acting Minister Myers explained that the proposed supplementary budget is supported by US$40 million in delayed World Bank budget support for FY2025 and an additional US$5 million generated from domestic revenue overperformance during the same fiscal year. He noted that strong tax policy measures and improved tax administration efficiency accounted for the revenue gains, despite the delay in external budget support.

Myers emphasized that the supplementary budget reflects the government's commitment to improving citizens' livelihoods through targeted, people-centered interventions. More than 40 percent of the budget--approximately US$19.3 million--has been allocated to the health, education, and social development sectors, underscoring the government's focus on human capital development.

According to him, the education sector will receive US$7.3 million to support teacher enrollment, expand school feeding programs, and clear outstanding obligations to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). The health sector has been allocated US$10.9 million to strengthen drug response initiatives and to acquire land for the construction of the National Children's Hospital. An additional US$1.05 million is earmarked for social development services to enhance community welfare and assist vulnerable populations.

To further improve service delivery, US$7.2 million, representing 15.9 percent of the budget, has been set aside for infrastructure and basic services. This includes US$4.02 million for the technical preparation and deployment of the government's "yellow machines" initiative.

Additionally, US$18.5 million has been allocated to other priority areas to address emerging needs and sustain ongoing government programs, including US$5.1 million to strengthen security, uphold the rule of law, and respond to evolving security challenges across the country.

This article originally appeared on New Dawn.