By New Dawn

Copyright thenewdawnliberia

Monrovia, Liberia; September 19, 2025 – Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has assured security institutions that the ongoing Executive Budget hearing is focused on shaping the 2026 National Budget, while underscoring their dual role as both service providers and indirect revenue generators.

A press release says Minister Ngafuan spoke during discussions held with security sector authorities. He explained that the Ministry of Finance is collaborating with the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and other partners to finalize initial projections for the 2026 fiscal plan. The Minister admitted that the outlook is “not too upbeat,” but stressed that efforts are underway to ensure stability.

“The good thing is that you’re in the security sector; in one breath, you’re on the expenditure side. In another, you’re on the revenue side,” he noted and added, “Security creates the confidence for business, investment, and growth. When businesses thrive, revenues increase, and that allows us to share a bigger national cake.”

Using a metaphor, the minister explained that a small budget, no matter how divided, yields only small allocations, but growing the economy ensures bigger returns for all sectors, including security. “If the cake is big, even if you get a small piece, it’s a big piece,” he noted.He also renewed government’s commitment to improving welfare within the security sector, acknowledging that since 2015, the government had not fully honored its insurance obligations to the sector, forcing personnel to pay premiums from their limited salaries. To ease this burden, he said, the government has begun providing top-ups to support insurance coverage.“The security sector is very important,” Minister Ngafuan emphasized, commending the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and abuse. He revealed that President Joseph Boakai has placed strong emphasis on anti-drug initiatives as part of safeguarding Liberia’s future.

“The President takes this seriously. We had a meeting, and the emphasis is in that direction, because we have to save the future of the country,” Ngafuan said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister for Administration, Bill McGill Jones, is calling on members of the legislature to pass the National Service Program into law.

The National Service Program, launched in Paynesville, is a government-backed initiative being implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to empower youth and women through structured service, skills development, and civic engagement.

With ten programmatic pillars and operations in more than ten counties, the NSP is a flagship effort to align Liberia’s youth development strategy with its national goals for peace, unity, and progress.

Deputy Minister Jones described the NSP as a bold and strategic initiative aimed at providing young people with meaningful experience in public service before entering the Civil Service.

Officially launching the NSP on behalf of Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Jones made it clear that the program is not only designed for young people but must also be driven by them.“You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of today. The builders of today. The changemakers of today,” he said. “Liberia cannot afford to keep you on the sidelines. Your time is now.”

He said the program’s strong focus is on gender inclusion, especially empowerment of women and girls.

“Whether it’s in agriculture, education, health, or leadership, your voice, your ideas, and your leadership are needed,” he stated. “This program is a declaration that Liberian women and girls are not second-class citizens.”He urged ministries, agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, and the media to rally around the program. He advocated for an all-of-government and all-of-society approach to ensure the NSP becomes a sustainable model for national development.

He emphasized that, with over 60% of Liberia’s population under the age of 25, the NSP is not just a response to a crisis, but an answer to one of the greatest opportunities in the nation’s history.

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu emphasized that the National Service Program is designed to strengthen and ensure the development and empowerment of young people.

He praised President Joseph Nyumah Boakai for his unwavering commitment to improving lives of Liberia’s youth, describing the National Service Program as the “lifeblood of the government’s development agenda.”

United Nations Resident Coordinator Christine Umutoni, on behalf of the UN, congratulated the Ministry of Youth and Sports on the launch of the National Youth Service Program.

She termed the program a transformative initiative intended to transform the youths who form part of the largest portion.Madam Umutoni said the National Service Program is part of the shared goals of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)“The National Service Program is not simply another initiative — it is a promise to invest in our youth, expand opportunity, and ensure that no Liberian is left behind,” said Project Coordinator, Mr. F. Alphonso Y. Belleh, II, at the official launch.

“With a target of reaching 25,000 beneficiaries over five years, this program is designed to empower young people and women through vocational training, education, entrepreneurship, and professional development.”Mr. Belleh called for sustained support from government, partners, and the private sector, emphasizing that: “Such investment is not just a contribution; it is a bold statement of solidarity with Liberia’s most vulnerable.” Editing by Jonathan Browne