“Increased Revenue Means Greater Capacity To Deliver”

Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has clarified that achievement of the US$1 billion domestic revenue threshold should not be interpreted as a claim that the longstanding development challenges have been solved.

Ngafuan said, the milestone should instead, be viewed as an indication of increased fiscal capacity, giving government greater room to respond to the pressing needs of citizens, and finance national development priorities.

He told OK Morning Rush on Thursday, September 17, in Monrovia that all of the problems will not be solved, “because it crossed the US$1 billion threshold.”

Ngafuan said, the capacity to address the pressing issues has improved with the size of the budget. He made the clarification while reflecting on the recent revenue performance, and the implications of increased domestic resource mobilization.

He said, the significance of crossing the US$1 billion threshold goes beyond the figure itself, noting that stronger domestic revenue provides government with a fiscal base from which it can support critical national priorities. He name the priorities as infrastructure, healthcare, education, social services, public-sector operations, and other development interventions.

He cautioned the Public that increased revenue should not create the impression that every challenge facing the country can be addressed immediately.

Rather, Ngafuan said, the additional fiscal space creates an opportunity for government to progressively tackle those challenges through improved planning, responsible spending, stronger institutions, and effective implementation of development programs.

His remark underscores the importance of ensuring that increased revenue translates into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Liberians.

He said, the ultimate value of revenue mobilization should be measured not simply by how much money enters government accounts, but by how effectively those resources are converted into public services, and development outcomes.

For the Ministry, Ngafuan noted how the revenue milestone represents part of government’s effort to strengthen domestic resource mobilization, and reduce vulnerability to unpredictable external financing. He emphasized the need for a stronger domestic revenue base as an important component of fiscal sustainability, noting that development ambitions require adequate and predictable resources. Ngafuan further stressed the need for achievement to be seen as a foundation for doing more, rather than as an endpoint.

For citizens, the expectation is that improvements in revenue collection will ultimately be reflected in better roads, and public infrastructure, improved access to quality healthcare, and education, stronger social protection, and expanded economic opportunities, something, he said, the government is tackling.