By Gogift Harris
“Intelligence Services alone is expected to receive US$27.6 million, nearly double the US$13.5 million spent in 2025,” –the report.
The proposed 2027 national budget has faced growing accountability concerns.
The concerns came about when citizens discovered that the allocation of US$55.9 million to intelligence, and other classified security expenditures, despite evidence that government agencies have already exceeded their approved security spending for 2026.
According to figures contained in the budget proposal, the Legislature approved US$39.6 million for intelligence and special operations in 2026.
By September 2026, actual spending had reportedly reached US$52 million, exceeding the approved amount by more than US$12 million, without a clear explanation of how the additional funds were authorized.
Rather than addressing the overspending, the proposed 2027 budget reportedly incorporates US$52.2 million into the next fiscal year’s spending plan.
To this, critics raised questions about whether excessive spending is being rewarded with increased allocations instead of subjected to proper financial scrutiny?
The figures further show that spending under the classified budget lines has increased substantially, rising from US$33.6 million in 2025 to US$52.2 million in the proposed 2027 budget, representing an increase of approximately 55 percent.
Intelligence Services alone is expected to receive US$27.6 million, nearly double the US$13.5 million spent in 2025.
According to an insider, the proposed expansion comes as the security sector has also received a financial boost.
Security-related institutions are expected to receive US$159.4 million in 2027, compared with US$127.5 million approved in 2026, and US$103.1 million actually spent in 2025.
By September 2026, these institutions had already spent US$128.9 million, exceeding their entire annual appropriation.
Within the security establishment, the Ministry of Justice is to receive US$83.4 million, an increase of 27 percent.
The Liberia National Police allocation rises to US$32.9 million, while the Drug Enforcement Agency is expected to receive US$10.4 million.
LDEA had already spent US$10.5 million by September against an approved allocation of US$8.6 million, raising further questions about expenditure controls.
NSA had already spent US$30.2 million by September 2026, exceeding its approved US$24.7 million allocation by approximately US$5.5 million, with three months remaining in the fiscal year.
Yet, the proposed 2027 budget reportedly provides no clear supplementary appropriation, or revised spending authorization to explain the excess expenditure.
The concerns extend beyond NSA, with approximately US$25.7 million in classified security-related spending reportedly distributed in 17 other government institutions.
Among them are the ministries of Information, Finance, Office of the Ombudsman, and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission.
Information Ministry Media Relations and Intelligence allocation is expected to be more than double to US$900,000, while the anti-corruption institution reportedly maintains approximately US$1 million in intelligence, and special operations funding.
The Liberia National Police intelligence allocation is also expected to increase from US$1.58 million to US$3.96 million, while the Police Training Academy, an institution primarily responsible for training officers, has a separate US$400,000 intelligence allocation.
