JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
By Lincoln G. Peters
Capitol Hill, Monrovia, June 5, 2026: Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has pleaded with the Liberian Senate for pardon over government’s failure to implement the Revenue Sharing Law, as pressure mounts over funds owed to counties.
Ngafuan appeared before the Senate on Thursday, June 4, 2026, alongside officials of the Justice and Local Government ministries, after Nimba County Senator Samuel Kogar demanded explanation over ArcelorMittal funds reportedly due the county under the Revenue Sharing Law.
Facing senators’ concerns, Ngafuan apologized and blamed the delay on the failure to establish the Local Government Fiscal Boards, which he said are required under Sections 4.26 and 4.28 of the Act.
“As institutions of government, we can only apologize to this body and to the Liberian people that this process has been delayed, not for lack of will, but because the institutions were not ready at the same time,” Ngafuan said.
He said rolling out local government reforms on both the fiscal and administrative fronts demands close coordination among state institutions. According to him, the Finance Ministry first worked with the former Ministry of Internal Affairs and now with the Ministry of Local Government.
Ngafuan disclosed that the ministry drafted and adopted the Terms of Reference for the Local Government Fiscal Boards in 2024 through a multi-stakeholder process, and then moved to implementation in 2025.
He said nominees for the Local Government Fiscal Board would be forwarded to President Joseph Boakai within the next week or two for formal appointment, adding that the Board would mediate between local authorities, the national government, and the Legislature.
Ngafuan argued that without the Board in place, key revenue-sharing requirements cannot be fully carried out, including disbursement of natural resource revenues such as ArcelorMittal payments, county resource revenues, locally generated funds, and certain national treasury entitlements for devolved and delegated county functions.
He maintained that government had already begun making progress before the Senate citation, noting that local revenue sharing also hinges on effective county treasuries, which he described as critical structures created by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
