Liberia: Cummings Cautions Against Budget Spending That Fails to Benefit Ordinary Citizens

ANC Political Leader Welcomes US$1 Billion Revenue Milestone, Calls for Greater Accountability and Improved Public Welfare

MONROVIA – The Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander B. Cummings, has welcomed Liberia’s achievement of surpassing US$1 billion in domestic revenue collection but cautioned that the milestone would mean little if the government’s spending priorities fail to improve the lives of ordinary Liberians.

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By Augustus D.R. Bortue

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Cummings said the achievement was encouraging, particularly as the government moves toward its ambitious US$1.2 billion national budget. However, he stressed that the impact of the increased revenue would depend on how the government allocates and spends the funds.

He warned that if the government continues allocating resources in the same manner as in previous years, ordinary Liberians may not experience meaningful improvements in their living conditions.

The ANC leader made the remarks in an interview with journalists on Tuesday, September 22, at the Don Bosco Youth Center in New Matadi, Monrovia.

“When the US$1.2 billion national budget was presented, there were doubts about whether such an ambitious target could be realized. Today, surpassing US$1 billion in domestic revenue collection has shown that the target was not merely an aspiration. It was achievable,” Cummings said.

Reflecting on his earlier advocacy for a billion-dollar national budget, Cummings recalled that he faced skepticism when he made the proposal during a presidential debate in 2017.

“I think it is a good thing. You know, in 2017, I said at a debate at the time that Liberia should have a billion dollars, and people were laughing and said it was not possible. It should have been a billion-dollar budget years ago, and I say now it should be two, three billion dollars,” he stated.

Cummings argued that Liberia’s budget remains comparatively small when measured against those of neighboring countries, suggesting that the country has the potential to mobilize more resources to finance development.

“If you look at our neighboring countries and where their budgets are, and you compare them with our budget, ours is still behind,” he said.

Despite welcoming the revenue milestone, Cummings emphasized that the government must ensure that increased public resources translate into tangible benefits for citizens rather than simply expanding the size of the national budget.

Calls for Accountability

Asked what message he had for Liberians, Cummings said the country could achieve more and urged citizens to remain resilient while demanding accountability from the government.

“My message to all Liberians is that Liberia deserves better. We can do better than what we have. We should not give up; we should be resilient,” he said.

He called on citizens to continue demanding results from the government, which he said bears responsibility for the welfare of the country.

Cummings also cited persistent corruption concerns and unresolved questions surrounding the Foya Project and developments at the Guinean border as issues requiring greater public scrutiny.

“We are still talking about the corruption of the country. We wrote a letter on the Foya Project, and we are not giving up on this. We still do not know what is happening at the Guinean border,” he said.

“There are a lot of challenges. We should be demanding until we get results.”

ANC Open to Opposition Unity

On the prospects of opposition political unity, Cummings described collaboration among opposition parties as important and said the ANC remains open to discussions with other political groups.

However, he cautioned that any renewed effort must take into account the lessons learned from the collapse of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), a former alliance of opposition parties.

“We have learned from the mistakes of the past of the Collaborating Political Parties. We will not repeat those mistakes. So, we will see where things go. We are open to conversation and making sure that this time it is in our interest,” Cummings said.

The CPP was established by the Alternative National Congress, Unity Party, Liberty Party and All Liberian Party to consolidate opposition support. The alliance, which was certified by the National Elections Commission in 2020, experienced internal divisions and the withdrawal of member parties before its eventual dissolution in April 2024.

Cummings Commends Youth Initiative

Cummings made the remarks while attending an awards ceremony organized by Montserrado County District #9 Representative Frank Saah Foko Jr. to recognize outstanding young people and professionals for excellence and community service.

The initiative celebrates individual achievements while encouraging academic advancement, professional growth and youth empowerment in the district.

Cummings praised Rep. Foko for sustaining and building upon the legacy of the late former District #9 Representative Munah Pelham-Youngblood, who initiated the program.

He described the awards ceremony as a wonderful initiative and said he was inspired by what he witnessed at the event.

Cummings also commended the young people and other participants for their contributions to the district, thanking Foko for continuing the legacy of his predecessor.

For his part, Rep. Foko thanked Cummings and other dignitaries who attended the ceremony, reaffirming his commitment to sustaining the initiative in honor of the late lawmaker.