-Questions Investment Claims and Budget Priorities; Demands Costed Plans, Timelines, And Transparency
MONROVIA, Liberia — The opposition Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) led by Nimba County Representative Musa Hassan Bility has issued a formal response to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), arguing the speech “leaned on aspiration more than execution” and urging the administration to publish costed, time‑bound plans for jobs, power, roads, and social services.
In a four‑page statement released Tuesday, the CMC said the President’s address “recycled promises” without providing delivery blueprints, measurable milestones, or budgeted implementation schedules. The party focused its critique on three areas: investment claims and concessions, the credibility of the FY2026 draft budget, and the gap between macroeconomic indicators and household realities.
Investment pledges and concessions: “show the contracts” Responding to the President’s references to billions in “committed investments,” the CMC pressed the government to publish the underlying agreements and delivery schedules. It singled out the amended ArcelorMittal concession and other mining/energy frameworks cited by the President, saying independent experts have questioned whether terms are optimal for Liberia and whether headline figures translate into near‑term projects, jobs, and revenue.
CMC said front‑loaded “windfalls” such as a US$200 million ArcelorMittal signature bonus are non‑recurring and must be ring‑fenced for capital projects with clear public reporting, rather than used to inflate recurrent spending. It called for transparent, line‑by‑line disclosures on how such funds are programmed and the timelines for roads, energy, and feeder infrastructure promised under the Public Sector Investment Program (PSIP).
Budget and growth: “ambition without execution risks” While noting the administration’s ambition—Liberia’s first US$1.211 billion draft budget, 94% domestically financed, and a tripled PSIP of roughly US$281.5 million—CMC said the revenue path leans on one‑offs and optimistic projections that face execution risk. The party cautioned that failure to deliver shovel‑ready projects on time could erode public confidence, and urged quarterly dashboards that show kilometers rehabilitated, megawatts added, hours of supply by county, and clinics/schools upgraded.
On the macroeconomy, the statement said headline growth and forecasts have not translated into lower prices or improved services for most households, citing persistent electricity outages, water challenges, transport costs, and high food prices. It said youth unemployment and informality remain elevated, while MSMEs struggle for affordable credit and predictable power—constraints that, in CMC’s view, received insufficient operational attention in the SONA.
Social services and inclusion: “from pledges to service standards” CMC said the speech underplayed operational targets for health, education, and social protection. It called for a service‑standards approach: stock‑out targets and diagnostics turnaround in health facilities; WASSCE and TVET support calibrated to job markets; and classroom rehab/teacher deployment benchmarks, especially in underserved counties. It also urged the government to define and report county metrics each quarter to ensure “growth reaches beyond Monrovia.”
What the President said In Monday’s SONA, President Boakai renewed his pledge to move “From Resolve to Results,” highlighting a 94% home‑financed draft budget; a tripled PSIP with a US$100 million top‑up equally split between roads and energy; the MCC scorecard pass; fiscal discipline; and diplomatic engagement designed to re‑energize investment. He vowed accountability and judicial independence, and said final judgments—such as in the Capitol arson case—must be handled firmly but within the law. Boakai framed the Legislature’s courtyard sessions as a reminder of democratic resilience after the 2024 attack on the Capitol.
CMC’s demands and course‑correction The opposition party urged the administration to:
- Publish full texts and delivery schedules for “committed investments” and concessions; subject major frameworks to independent cost‑benefit review.
- Ring‑fence one‑off inflows (e.g., signature bonuses) strictly for capital, with public project lists and timelines.
- Produce a quarterly “Resolve to Results” dashboard: roads (km), energy supply (hours and losses), health/education service standards, and MSME financing uptake.
- Strengthen debt and Road Fund transparency; publish tax expenditures and exemptions with costs and sunset clauses.
- Expand MSME credit and loss‑reduction measures at LEC to lower cost of doing business and make growth more job‑intensive.
- Prioritize county‑level delivery and results reporting to ensure inclusive growth.
What’s next The Legislature will now scrutinize the FY2026 draft, including the PSIP pipeline, the programming of the US$200 million signature bonus, and the realism of tax and non‑tax projections. Lawmakers are expected to demand shovel‑ready project lists and procurement timelines, particularly for the promised US$50 million boosts to roads and energy.
The administration has argued that open‑budget publication, the MCC pass, and tripled capital spending reflect a turn toward delivery. CMC counters that the test is not ambition but execution, warning that “ambition without delivery” could widen the credibility gap if roads, power, and services do not improve visibly by mid‑year.
As budget hearings begin, both the Executive and opposition will face pressure to show where growth will come from—mining and logistics, agriculture value‑chains, services—and how benefits will reach households and firms beyond the capital.
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