By Lewis S. Teh
MONROVIA, August 25, 2026 — Liberia is expected to cross the US$1 billion mark in domestic revenue for the first time in September, Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has announced, describing the projected milestone as historic for the country.
Ngafuan said the increased domestic revenue would provide the government with additional resources to finance roads, electricity, education, healthcare, job creation, and stronger public institutions.
The Finance Minister made the disclosure while delivering the National Oration marking Liberia’s 179th National Flag Day celebration in Monrovia under the theme, “From Heritage to Hope: The Flag That Unites Us.”
He linked the projected revenue milestone to the government’s broader development agenda, saying Liberia must translate increased domestic resources into tangible improvements in the lives of its citizens.
“Based on what we are doing, I can now confidently say that this generation of Liberians will in a few years be able to drive on paved roads from Monrovia to Gbarnga, and from Bomi to Zorzor, Voinjama, Tappita, and Foya to Bo-Waterside on the Sierra Leone border,” Ngafuan said.
He said the government is also expanding access to electricity, improving schools and healthcare, creating jobs and connecting communities as part of its ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
“The roads we are paving do not ask the political party of the persons traveling on them. The electricity … does not ask the tribe of the child standing beneath this light,” he said.
Ngafuan also used the Flag Day address to call on Liberians to demonstrate patriotism through higher standards of public service, integrity and national unity, declaring that “we raise the flag when we raise our standards.”
He said patriotism should go beyond wearing the national colors, singing the anthem or publicly expressing love for the country.
“Patriotism is not only what we say about Liberia. Patriotism is what we do for Liberia,” Ngafuan said.
He cited public officials who protect state resources, teachers who prepare for class, nurses who care for patients, security officers who resist corruption, businesspeople who pay taxes, journalists who pursue truth and young people who choose education and hard work as examples of citizens “raising the flag.”
Reflecting on the significance of the Lone Star, Ngafuan said Liberia’s flag represents more than its physical appearance and historical origins.
“Our flag is cloth, but it is more than cloth. It is color, but it is more than color. It is history, but it must also be hope,” he said.
He recalled that 179 years ago, Liberia’s forebears adopted the national flag with its 11 alternating red and white stripes and a single white star on a blue field.
