By Seltue Karweaye Sr.
Evidence consistently shows that openness and transparency in budgeting play a crucial role in enhancing governance and holding public officials accountable. Unfortunately, the Government of Liberia has demonstrated inconsistency in the public availability of essential budget documents from one year to the next.
Since 2012, the Government of Liberia has significantly increased access to budget information. It has enhanced the comprehensiveness of key documents such as the Executive’s Budget Proposal, the Mid-Year Review, and the Enacted Budget. These improvements have provided a more detailed account of fiscal plans and spending. However, this progress is undermined by a decline in the timely publication of other critical documents, including the Pre-Budget Statement and the Citizens Budget. Furthermore, the government has failed to produce and disseminate the Year-End Report, which is essential for assessing the overall fiscal performance and accountability of government spending.
According to the most recent Open Budget Survey, Liberia has achieved a transparency score of 52 out of 100. This score positions the country moderately above the global average on the Open Budget Index (OBI), which evaluates a nation’s budget transparency based on the accessibility and clarity of key financial documents to the public.
The current state of fiscal transparency and public participation in Liberia’s budgeting process is disheartening. As Africa’s oldest independent nation, it has seemingly regressed in its commitments to transparency, despite ongoing advocacy efforts by citizens and repeated assurances from the government to enhance budgetary openness. This regression raises concerns about the effectiveness of governance and the ability of citizens to engage meaningfully in the budgeting process, essential for fostering trust in public institutions and ensuring responsible stewardship of public resources.
The Government of Liberia currently falls short in providing its citizens with comprehensive budget information, which hampers taxpayers’ ability to understand how elected officials are allocating and utilizing public resources. The budgetary process lacks substantial public engagement, resulting in minimal feedback being considered, and the final budget document does not clarify how any feedback received is integrated into the decision-making process. For instance, after the passage of the 2025 budget and its approval by President Boakai, the detailed budget has yet to be released to the public, raising concerns about transparency.
In terms of budget transparency, Liberia ranks approximately in the middle of the spectrum among African countries. This relatively low ranking is linked to the government’s failure to produce a timely mid-year budget review, which is critical for assessing fiscal performance and making necessary adjustments. Furthermore, key documents such as the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Budget Implementation Reports are often published late, diminishing their usefulness for oversight and public understanding. The content of these budget documents frequently fails to meet the minimum global standards established by the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency Framework, which outlines guidelines for budget reporting and public accessibility to enhance fiscal accountability and public trust, the Government of Liberia must improve the timeliness and accessibility of its essential budget documents. Implementing an open budget system would facilitate greater public scrutiny and participation in the budgeting process. Additionally, Liberia must strive to improve the comprehensiveness and clarity of critical budget documents, including the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Budget Implementation Reports, executive budget proposals, enacted budgets, and year-end reports. By doing so, the government can foster a more transparent, accountable, and participatory budgetary environment that empowers citizens and strengthens democratic governance.
Liberia also needs to produce and publish a mid-year review of fiscal activities in line with the minimum global standard in budgeting. There is also an urgent need for a structured participatory mechanism designed to capture the views of the public throughout the budget cycle.
Obscure budgeting practices have profound and far-reaching consequences for Liberia’s economic and social development. When citizens lack adequate information about budgetary decisions and allocations, it erodes public trust in government institutions and democratic processes. This deficiency in transparency not only breeds skepticism among the populace but can also lead to significant inefficiencies and the misallocation of resources, as there is minimal accountability regarding the use and management of public funds.
Moreover, the unavailability of detailed budget information following the approval of the 2025 budget by the legislature and its subsequent signing into law by President Boakai can severely impede effective planning and strategic decision-making for both businesses and investors. When fiscal policies and allocations remain ambiguous, it creates a volatile economic environment that discourages investment and hinders economic growth. Investors, unable to assess the government’s financial direction, may hesitate to commit capital, fearing unforeseen shifts in fiscal policy or resource allocation.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—the backbone of the economy, often characterized by limited financial resilience—the absence of budget transparency can exacerbate existing challenges related to access to financing and market opportunities. Without clear insight into government spending priorities and economic conditions, SMEs may struggle to secure loans, invest in growth, or compete effectively in the marketplace.
Furthermore, vague budgeting practices can significantly weaken the government’s capacity to implement and monitor its policies effectively. In the absence of clear, accessible budget information, it becomes increasingly challenging to evaluate whether public funds are being allocated and utilized by established policy priorities. This lack of oversight can foster an environment conducive to corruption and the waste of public resources, ultimately exacerbating issues of poverty and inequality. The cumulative effect of these challenges can lead to stagnation in social progress and undermine the nation’s overall development.
The 2025 approved Liberian budget should be publicly accessible to promote transparency and foster trust within our country. This availability will allow citizens to review the financial allocations and decisions, ensuring they are informed about how public funds are being utilized to support various programs and services. I rest my pen.
