MONROVIA – The Liberia Revenue Authority has introduced a standardized expenditure budget planning framework as it begins preparations for its Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, a move aimed at strengthening planning, coordination, accountability, and institutional performance across the Authority.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Budget and Finance Division, introduces a standardized budget preparation template for all departments, ensuring consistency in the development of work plans, expenditure priorities, and budget submissions while strengthening alignment with the LRA’s key institutional proprieties, including enhancing domestic revenue mobilization, improving taxpayer services, and accelerating digital transformation.
The FY2027 Expenditure Budget is anchored on a program-based budgeting approach, with a strong focus on cost-center programs. Under this framework, all expenditure activities will be aligned with the LRA’s Corporate Strategic Plan, the Government of Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), and the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT), ensuring that resource allocation supports the Authority’s strategic priorities, strengthens institutional performance, and advances effective domestic revenue mobilization.
TADAT is an internationally recognized performance assessment framework that evaluates the effectiveness and overall health of a country’s tax administration system, helping revenue authorities identify strengths, address weaknesses, and drive continuous institutional improvement.
Speaking during the launch over the weekend, Deputy Commissioner General for Administrative Affairs Samuel G. Bennett Jr. welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important step toward improving planning, resource allocation, and the quality of departmental budget submissions. He urged all departments to actively participate in the exercise, adhere to established timelines, and ensure their submissions are comprehensive and strategically aligned.
“A successful budget begins with quality planning, active participation, and timely submissions. Every department has a responsibility to contribute to a budget process that supports the Authority’s strategic priorities and strengthens institutional performance,” Bennett said.
Assistant Commissioner for the Budget and Finance Division, Ord-siejepo Jlateh, described the standardized budget planning template as a significant step toward strengthening the Authority’s budget formulation process. He said the framework will improve consistency and coordination across departments, enhance the quality and timeliness of budget submissions, and support effective planning and resource allocation. He noted that the initiative will contribute to a more efficient, transparent, and strategically aligned FY2027 budget process.
Also speaking, Budget and Finance Manager Terry B. Wesseh announced plans to automate the budget formulation process in the coming months as part of the Authority’s modernization agenda. He noted that the digital platform, once fully operational, will streamline the budget preparation process by improving efficiency, strengthening transparency, reducing manual interventions, and enabling more data-driven planning and strategic decision-making.
The new framework forms part of the Liberia Revenue Authority’s broader commitment to strengthening financial management, enhancing corporate governance, and embracing digital solutions that improve organizational performance.
By standardizing and modernizing its budget planning process, the LRA is reinforcing a culture of strategic planning, accountability, and sound financial management while strengthening its capacity to support effective domestic revenue mobilization and Liberia’s national development agenda.
