Monrovia, Liberia – Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, strongly supports the performance of the current administration by drawing a comparison between the state of the economy and infrastructure under the previous administration and recent improvements.
Minister Ngafuan asserted with confidence, “Despite the claims of some that we are regressing, we are actually making progress. There are a lot of indicators.”
During a radio interview in Monrovia on Monday, September 8, 2025, Hon. Ngafuan highlighted significant infrastructural upgrades that have reduced travel times to Liberia’s remote areas.
“Lofa County road has significantly improved, when you travel to the southeast, it is a different story today. Nowadays, people are traveling from Fish Town to Monrovia on the same day for meetings. In the past, these journeys would take days, senators have attested to the change.”
Ngafuan noted that poor roads have historically impeded economic progress by restricting access to markets for counties with high production levels. He pointed out that even during the hottest part of the rainy season, NTA buses are now arriving in Voinjama and Harper.
The minister also mentioned positive macroeconomic data, emphasizing better service delivery and a decline in inflation. The inflation rate has decreased to slightly above 7%, he noted.
Ngafuan emphasized the developments in access to power and how they affect business. “The supply of electricity is generally steady. Companies aren’t overspending to keep the lights on anymore. The profitability of businesses is directly impacted by that. We’re focusing on electricity expansion because it’s important,” he remarked.
He added that the World Bank and African Development Bank have chosen just 12 nations, including Liberia, to create an energy compact that will raise the percentage of people who have access to electricity from 33% to 75%.
“Allow them to explain what constitutes improvement if that isn’t it.” Ngafuan posed a challenge.
Another indication of heightened economic activity, the minister said, is the return of night activities at the Freeport of Monrovia. “Now that there is electricity on the streets, people are working longer hours at the Free Port of Monrovia.”
The lines at gas stations are gone. Both the price of rice and petroleum are stable. Scrambling in rice warehouses is no longer a necessity for mothers, he stated.
“Most civil servants receive their paychecks on tie. Salary payments have become so common that people begin to complain if their payments are delayed past the 25th. The public is holding us to the high standards that our administration has set,” he remarked.
