Finance Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan
Monrovia, Liberia- Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan on Monday, September 8, firmly rejected growing criticism that the University of Liberia (UL) is not receiving its current budget allotments—allegations that, according to some, could delay the university’s reopening.
Minister Ngafuan asserted that the government has fully met its formal financial obligations to the university, and described UL’s recent request for an additional US$500,000 as “off-budget support” that falls outside the bounds of the national budget framework.
Last week, UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan told the Senate that the university had written to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning seeking an emergency infusion of US$500,000. The funds, she said, were urgently needed for campus repairs and to settle outstanding payments to lecturers ahead of the new semester.
Appearing on State Radio (ELBC), Minister Ngafuan addressed the request directly, warning of the broader fiscal implications of approving such appeals. He cautioned that while they may be emotionally compelling, off-budget expenditures risk undermining national budget discipline and long-term planning.
“The university budget was about US$33.7 million last year. This year it is US$34 million,” Ngafuan said. “We make sure the university gets its budget, and we pay on time. Contrary to impressions, the government has not deprived the university.”
While expressing sympathy for the university’s operational challenges, Ngafuan stressed that repeated off-budget appeals set a “dangerous precedent” that the government cannot accept.
“It is one thing to ask for more; it is another to use what you have,” he stated. “Any extra money requested would be outside the national budget framework.”
According to the minister, nearly US$32 million of UL’s US$34 million allocation for fiscal year 2025 is committed to salaries, leaving limited funds for operational or capital expenses—a constraint he described as common across all government sectors.
Meanwhile, Minister Ngafuan says the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning will provide the funds requested early this week.
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