By Lincoln G. Peters
Congo Town, Monrovia, May 22, 2026 – Liberia’s former Finance Minister and ex-Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Madam Antoinette Monsio Sayeh, has emphasized that African governments and Ministers of Finance must resist agreements that do not align with their national strategy and development agenda.
Speaking at the 22nd Governing Board Meeting of the African Organization of English-Speaking Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-E) on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Madam Sayeh presented a concept paper under the theme, “Auditing Public Debt to Strengthen Accountability and Fiscal Sustainability.”
After her presentation, Liberia’s Auditor General, P. Garswa Jackson, stressed governments’ responsibility to maintain checklists, manage, review, and monitor the debt stock to ensure it does not exceed GDP or GDP per capita thresholds.
He questioned, “How do developing countries like Liberia manage the various attractive debt portfolios offered by development partners while maintaining effective debt management strategies?”
In response, Madam Sayeh described the issue as a longstanding challenge for countries in urgent need of financing and seeking rapid development impact.
“It is the responsibility of the Minister of Finance and their team to resist what does not align with their national strategy and to pursue alternative financing for development,” she stated. “Resisting donors requires conviction and steadfastness. Leaders must be prepared to explain their decisions to the population and remain accountable.”
She emphasized that development partners should only be asked to fill genuine funding gaps, highlighting the importance of domestic resource mobilization.
Madam Sayeh warned that if governments do not fully exploit domestic revenue sources, they risk being enticed by donor offers that may not align with their established development strategies.
She underscored that national governments must prioritize raising their own resources and strive to become less dependent on external donors over time.
She noted that recent shocks, including reduced aid, underscore the need for improved domestic resource mobilization and more rigorous scrutiny of public expenditures.
“Development partners sometimes have their own incentives, which can lead to aggressive promotion of certain projects. While partners are essential, especially in times of crisis, countries must avoid becoming reliant on frequent external interventions,” Madam Sayeh concluded.
Liberia’s General Auditing Commission (GAC), under the administration of Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson, Sr., is hosting the prestigious Annual Governing Board Meeting of AFROSAI-E in Monrovia from May 18–22, 2026.
AFROSAI-E is a regional body of 26 African countries formed to strengthen the institutional capacity of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in English-speaking Africa. It promotes auditing standards, SAI independence, and accountability to improve public financial management and enhance citizens’ lives.
The Conference is an annual AFROSAI-E initiative held to fulfill statutory requirements, review progress on the 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, and foster accountability. These meetings ensure member SAIs enhance institutional capacity and strengthen peer-to-peer support.
