Africa-Press – Liberia. The Executive Director of Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL), Harold M. Aidoo, has described the Government of Liberia’s funding to anti-graft institutions as deeply inadequate, arguing that it does not reflect the administration’s stated commitment to fighting corruption.
“How can you give someone a mandate and not give them the resources to be able to execute the mandate? For me, I think it’s quite troubling, and the government needs to move from words to action, and that action needs to be seen in what it puts in the budget,” he stressed.
Speaking in an interview at the launch of The Centrism Movement at the Monrovia Christian Fellowship over the weekend, Aidoo emphasized that Liberia must invest in critical sectors, especially the fight against corruption, by adequately funding institutions responsible for combating graft.
He noted that all Liberians must engage in the national budget debate to ensure the country adopts a spending plan that is inclusive, forward-looking, and geared toward economic growth rather than merely paying salaries.
Aidoo also disclosed that Integrity Watch Liberia is working with lawmakers as they review key components of the FY2026 Draft National Budget.
While commending the government for achieving a US$1.21 billion budget, he cautioned that US$200 million of that amount is a one-time windfall that will not be available in the 2027 fiscal year. He recommended that the windfall be directed toward investments that can sustainably increase national revenue.
“I see increases in recurrent expenditure, including salaries, all of a sudden. I don’t think that’s being smart as a country. We need to look at how we can grow the economy so that, hopefully, in the 2027 budget, we will be talking about US$1.5 or US$1.7 billion,” he said.
According to the FY2026 draft budget, anti-graft entities such as the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) are allocated US$4,396,037, while the General Auditing Commission (GAC) received US$6,355,053.
Aidoo also expressed concerns about the pending Hydrocarbon Agreements between Liberia and TotalEnergies and Atlas Oranto Petroleum. He noted that IWL’s analysis revealed several worrisome provisions.
“In as much we want this endeavor to go on, we also believe there are several provisions in the clause clearly undermining Liberia’s ability to earn future revenue,” he pointed out. He confirmed that Integrity Watch has submitted its independent review to relevant committees at the Legislature and hopes lawmakers will carefully evaluate the agreements to ensure Liberia fully benefits from its natural resources.
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