By Pewu Y. Sumo
MONROVIA – Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan sent a clear and sobering message to his staff today during the official launch of the Ministry’s new five-year strategic plan: the success of the entire Liberian government hinges on the performance of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP).
In a speech that balanced high-level policy with human stakes, Ngafuan underscored the heavy responsibility carried by those managing the nation’s coffers.
“I tell my folks that your work has consequences and that you can literally make people live or make people die if you don’t do your work,” the Minister stated. “That’s the burden we share, and everyone within the ministry has to understand that.”
A Roadmap for National Ambition
The new strategic plan is designed as a direct response to the “ARREST” agenda of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration. Ngafuan described the document not as a collection of “aspirations in a vacuum,” but as a pragmatic roadmap grounded in the country’s current fiscal realities.
Key pillars of the five-year strategy include:
Overhauling financial management systems and accelerating digital transformation across all ministry departments, strengthening fiscal reporting, accountability, and enhancing debt sustainability, expanding domestic revenue collection to reduce reliance on external aid and reducing inefficiencies and professionalizing public financial management to improve service delivery at every level.
Institutional Reforms and a New Home
Beyond technical financial goals, the Minister announced significant institutional changes. To improve operational efficiency, the Ministry is currently renewing its enabling act and proposing reforms to enhance the integrity and independence of the Controller and Accountant General’s functions.
Perhaps most notably for the Ministry’s workforce, Ngafuan revealed plans for a feasibility study for the construction of a new, permanent headquarters for the Ministry of Finance.
“If We Don’t Perform, We Paralyze the Government”
The Minister concluded by reminding his team that the Ministry acts as the engine of the state. He warned that while high performance leads to a thriving government, “inaction” or poor performance at the MFDP has a “paralyzing” effect on every other government function.
“The country’s burden rests on our shoulders,” Ngafuan said, calling on all employees to view the new plan as their primary guide for the next five years.
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