CMC Contract with Liberians: The People’s Budget — Replacing, Not Patching Up

By Hon. Musa Hassan Bility, Political Leader, Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) Representative, District #7, Nimba County
 
Fellow Liberians,
 
The 2026 National Budget before us is not just a document of numbers. It should be a mirror reflecting our nation’s soul but, sadly instead, this budget tells the story of a government that has mastered the art of taxing and spending but forgotten the sacred duty to build and serve. This is an “eating show” budget, crafted for spectacle, not for substance—deception, not development. It is a budget of illusion, built on fantasies and inflated by lies.
 
The government’s proposed 2026 fiscal year budget proudly declares over 1.2 billion United States dollars in expected revenues, yet nearly 17% of that amount, $200 million dollars, comes from a one-time payment by ArcelorMittal in 2026. Ask yourselves: Can a nation be built on a single windfall, mortgaged on the hopes of corporate generosity? We think not!
 
And that’s why the government’s budget projection for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 shows a drastic reduction.  When that windfall dries up in 2027, who will the government blame? Who will they tax next? The market women whose daily earnings average less than $2? The motorcyclists who are already burdened by levies? The teachers, nurses, and law enforcement officers who, according to recent surveys, earn below the regional minimum wage and live paycheck to paycheck? Is this fair? Obviously, we think not!
 
The projection of 10 million dollars in contingency revenue from the Asset recovery task force has been positioned as a means to bolster the national budget, pushing it beyond the one-billion-dollar mark.  This maneuver is a clear illustration of the shameless inflation of the national budget which we view as an “eating show” budget, where speculative or unrealistic revenue streams are used to increase government spending.  This is especially so in light of the fact that the Asset Recovery Task Force has done next to nothing towards prosecuting cases in court, much less proving the possibility or probability of its ability to collect on these projections.   
 
Using one-off revenue windfalls to fund ongoing expenditures or disperse it across numerous projects would only provide temporary relief without addressing Liberia’s fundamental development challenges. Instead, we believe that dedicating such funds to establishing and capitalizing an agriculture investment bank represents a much more forward-looking, transformational investment. Such an initiative would not only support the 60 percent of Liberians working in the agriculture sector but also set the country on a path toward sustainable poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth.
 
Fellow Liberians, the 2026 figures do not represent responsible budgeting and prudent fiscal management. This is betrayal disguised as policy. The government calls this fiscal expansion growth. But we in the CMC call it what it is—reckless indulgence.
 
Consider these facts:
The legislative budget has increased by 25% from $41 million to almost $52 million, even as basic services remain underfunded.
 
The National Security budget has been raised by 44% to $151.8 million, an addition of over $15 million, with no justification, no report, and no achievement marked; even while violent crimes and domestic insecurity remain rampant.
 
Bureaucratic compensation consumes over 27% of the total budget, now increased from $315 million to over $329 million, a difference of 14 million dollars.  Yet, the sector that employs over 60% of Liberians and has the highest potential to feed our people and generate sustainable revenue streams—agriculture—receives barely 1% of the national budget, less than $14 million, and far less funding than the office of presidential advisers. One percent for farmers and 27 percent for bureaucracy.  
 
17 out of 18 state-owned enterprises listed in the budget annex failed to submit financial plans for review. This undermines the integrity of the national budget process, is a clear violation of the Public Financial Management law, and leads to a lack of transparency regarding these entities’ financial positions. Consequently, the government cannot accurately assess or plan for the necessary fiscal support, making the overall budget less reliable and increasing fiscal risks due to unknown obligations and exposures.
 
These are not signs of growth—they are symptoms of greed! Is this the Liberia we want? Is this the promise we made to our children—a future of dependency, debt, and despair? We are being told that this is a budget meant to rescue the nation. But how can it be, when it neglects the very hands that till the soil, teach our children, heal our sick, protect our nation?
 
The CMC offers a different path—a bold, honest, and people-centered vision. Our Contract with the Liberian people. We call it The People’s Budget, and it rests on three sacred principles:
Development with Dignity:  investing in human capital, not political capital.
Liberia- First Economics: Turning our natural wealth into national prosperity.
Replacing, Not Repairing: Breaking away from old systems that reward incompetence and punish productivity.
 
Under the CMC’s People’s Budget, we shall address the following:
Increased Education Funding:
The CMC will significantly increase the allocation for education by up to 15 percent in our first national budget and 20 percent in our second budget, with the goal of meeting the minimum required by international best practices. By doing this, we ensure that every child has access to quality public schooling, modern educational facilities, and well-trained teachers. We shall implement entrepreneurship programs and vocational training that link education directly to job creation. This contrasts with the current government’s limited investment in education.
 
Agriculture Investments: 
The current budget underfunds this critical sector.  We have a duty to support our farmers and invest in our food security.  In addition, the Maputo Declaration, to which Liberia is a signatory, requires that all African countries spend at least ten percent of its expenditure on agriculture. We shall fulfill our duty to the Liberian farmers and to compliance with the Maputo Declaration by raising the agriculture budget to $120 million dollars, up from the current miniscule $13.6 million budget.  This will allow for support to agribusiness startups and value-chain development, fostering private sector innovation in agriculture.
 
Investment in Healthcare:
The CMC will increase the current expenditure in health by $50 million dollars from the proposed $101 million in the budget in order to modernize hospitals that will provide improved access to quality healthcare and free primary healthcare.
 
Investment in Infrastructure:
The proposed budget includes $133 million dollars for infrastructure. This is woefully inadequate to address the critical and urgent infrastructure needs in the country. Today, only 15% of rural roads are passable year-round. We will increase the expenditure to $220 million, which will be used to develop and extend rural and feeder road networks and build bridges that connect our economy and our people. Additionally, we will invest in technology to enhance our government efficiency, monitoring, and evaluation and create opportunities for public-private partnerships to build and maintain critical infrastructure, including schools, research centers, and rural roads.
 
Investment in Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs):
The CMC views the development and sustainability of MSMEs as the bedrock of the Liberian economy. Thus, the amount of $16 million proposed in the budget is inadequate to promote private sector growth and development. We shall increase this amount to $32 million in direct support and credit guarantees. 
How will the CMC government pay for increased budgetary allocations to education, agriculture, healthcare, and infrastructure, and MSME’s?
 
Cutting fraud, waste, and abuse:
We will adequately capacitate oversight bodies to audit public expenditures and identify inefficiencies.
The current government’s budget allows excessive compensation for lawmakers and senior appointed officials. We will propose legislation on Legislative salary cap at $5,000 per month and trim inflated salaries of senior appointed public administrators’ salary by 40%, making public service about serving the people—not personal enrichment.
We will propose legislation to require verified asset declaration for all public servants prior to assuming elected office or being confirmed by the Senate.
We will implement whistleblower protection programs and transparent reporting mechanisms to encourage the exposure of malfeasance.
We will regularly review procurement contracts and public spending to eliminate redundant or unnecessary expenditures and require publication of details of all awards made. Additionally, we will re-introduce bulk purchasing for all government equipment, supplies and machinery in order to benefit from volume discounts.
We will order audits of all large taxpayers, going five years back, in strict accordance with revenue and finance laws, to ensure compliance and increase domestic revenue collection.
We will reduce the overall government wage bill by streamlining bureaucracy, ending unnecessary positions, and focusing on service delivery, not political patronage. By reducing the wage bill and capping top government salaries, we will redirect resources to essential services, cut waste, and make government more efficient and accountable.
 
Improving Digitization for Expenditure Efficiency:
We will deploy digital platforms for real-time tracking of government expenditures, enabling greater transparency and reducing leakages.
We will adopt e-procurement systems to streamline public purchasing and prevent corruption.
We will digitize beneficiary registries for education and agricultural subsidies to minimize duplication and ensure targeted delivery.
 
Improving Tax Administration:
We will modernize tax collection systems, including the adoption of integrated digital tax platforms.
We will enhance staff training and capacity building within revenue authorities.
We will streamline tax procedures to reduce compliance costs and encourage voluntary participation.
 
Increasing Compliance on Real Estate and Corporate Taxes:
We will implement comprehensive property registration and valuation to expand the real estate tax base.
We will enforce stricter penalties for tax evasion and avoidance, particularly among large corporate entities.
We will launch public awareness campaigns on tax obligations and the benefits of compliance.
 
Increasing Benefit from Natural Resources:
We will conduct comprehensive audits of all Concession and Mineral Development Agreements, going back ten years, to ensure transparency, fairness, and that the Liberian people benefit from our natural resources.
We will review all Concession and Mineral Development Agreements and, if necessary, renegotiate terms to protect national interests and ensure equitable terms for Liberia.
 
Security Sector Scrutiny: We will scrutinize and justify every dollar spent, ensuring security funds are used efficiently and for genuine national protection with adequate transparency.
 
All savings generated from reducing fraud, waste, and abuse, and systems improvement will be systematically redirected into education and agriculture. To ensure the successful execution of these reforms, CMC will employ a phased implementation plan that will include:
 
Decentralization: We will implement the existing Decentralization Act and transfer power, responsibility, and resources from central government to county-level authorities which will increase their autonomy and allow them to manage public functions and allocate resources more independently.
 
Legislative Action: We will propose enabling laws to formalize new budget allocations and reform measures.
 
Capacity Building: We will invest in training government officials and upgrading technological infrastructure.
 
Stakeholder Engagement: We will involve civil society, private sector, and development partners in monitoring and evaluation.
 
Performance Monitoring: We will stablish clear benchmarks and timelines for each reform, with regular public reporting. We will require all Executive appointees to provide a detailed plan of action for implementation of the CMC Contract with Liberians prior to being confirmed by the Senate.
 
Accountability Mechanisms: We will establish independent review panels comprising of Liberian professionals and experts to assess progress and recommend adjustments as needed.
 
Fellow Liberians, this is what a real people’s budget and good financial governance looks like—not one that parades fake revenue, but one that redistributes real hope. The CMC refuses to accept a Liberia where our future is financed by singular foreign payments and a comedy of asset recovery. The projected $10 million from the Asset Recovery Task Force is not fiscal policy—it is fiscal fiction. We cannot fund a nation on court cases that have not even begun, especially when the asset recovery rate is less than 2% of identified cases over the past decade.
 
We must move from taxation to productivity, from rent seeking to real enterprise. Through oversight reforms, diaspora bonds, and public-private investment in agriculture and small industries, we can raise sustainable national income without punishing the poor.
 
We are standing at the edge of a fiscal cliff. The year 2027 will come, and the one-off monies will vanish. What will remain are unpaid debts, bloated wages, and broken promises. The government will return with excuses—the market fell, the prices dropped, the rains came. But the truth will remain—we failed to build a self-reliant nation. Let us not be a people who watch our future traded for political theater. Let us not sit by while the children of tomorrow inherit the debt of today. Liberia deserves better—better than eating show; better than a budget of lies. The CMC stands for transformation, not tinkering. We are here to replace, not patch up; to tear down the old walls of waste and build new foundations of hope. We will not tax poverty to fund corruption. We will invest in productivity to build prosperity. We must be innovative and provide transformative governance. A $200 million plus, one-time payment from private sector business, would be better utilized to establish and capitalize an agriculture bank in Liberia which would provide essential funding and financial services to agribusinesses, enabling farmers and entrepreneurs to access credit, invest in modern equipment, and improve productivity. Doing so would stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and significantly reduce poverty, marking the most transformative step in Liberia’s economic history in the past fifty years.
 
Fellow Liberians, our vision is simple. A Liberia that works for its people, not a privileged few. A Liberia where budgets are not about politics and self-aggrandizement, but about purpose. A Liberia where every dollar spent lifts a life, not lines a pocket. This is our fight. This is our faith. This is our future. It’s up to each and every one of us to begin the journey of transformative governance. God bless the Liberian people, the true authors of our destiny. God bless the CMC. God bless the Republic of Liberia.