Gov’t Vows to Pay Media Debt -Finance Minister Commits to Clear Outstanding Amounts

MONROVIA – The payment of adverts by government to media institutions has been a longstanding debacle for decades in Liberia. The government, the largest advertiser in the media, has often reneged on clearing media adverts money, the lifeblood of the media. Consequently, some skeptics have accused various political administrations of weaponizing media debts to subtly stifle the media and keep them weak and subservient. With the current administration committing itself to settle all debts owed to media institutions, many say it is a step in the right direction, hoping Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan will keep his word. The Analyst reports.

The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Augustine Kpehe  Ngafuan on Tuesday   reassured   Government’s  commitment to paying  media debt and all other debt  legally owed.

The statement was made when the president and Vice president,   of the publishers Association of Liberia did a follow up visit to his to inquire about media payment.

“Thank you for coming to do a follow up. We have received your debt report from the General Auditing commission and will work on its payment,” he said. “We are under obligation to pay all debt owed by the government, not only the media, but other institutions.”

Mr. Alphonso Toweh, president of PAL and Mr. Bai Best Vice president said it was important to inquire from the minister the status of the debt payment.

The Minister said, that “the media is very important in every society and we as government will not do anything to undermine the media. The media is doing its best and we must do all to pay whatever debt we owe them.”

“Once we owe you, we will pay you,” the Finance Minister continued. “You work for it and we are under obligation to pay you. Not only the media, but all entities and individual that government is indebted to.”

It can be recalled that the minister earlier made the statement in the USA when he attended the annual meeting of the Association of Liberian journalists in the Americas that the government would clear all media debt.

Upon his return, he made the first batch payment and the second payment is due.

He said, government does not take delight in owing any entity.  “When a government services its debt, it brings credibility to her and makes more people to do business; because they know when government owes them, it pays. Under the PFMU law, the first law is to pay debt. Not any other payment.”

For his part, the president of the publishers Association of Liberia, Mr. Toweh urged him to live by his statement to pay.

“You know the media is struggling. How do you expect us to survive when it takes long time to pay,” Toweh said. “We should also commend you for making efforts to pay the debt from previous government; even though government is continuity. We want you to clear everything before the year comes to an end, so that we can move ahead with our professional work.”

To this, Minister Ngafuan said: “We will pay before the end of this year, failing to state if it would be at zero balance. But said, we will see because we are like a twin’s mother; we give some here and there. But let’s see.”

For his part, Mr. Best said it was time for media debt to be paid faster.

He told the Minister: “We are a small body and when you owe for over a long period of time, how do we produce? With what you have said, we look up to you for a complete payment of the debt.”

Minister Ngafuan said that he wanted for the media to remain independent. 

“The media is very important and we will want you to remain independent as you are.  If we are wrong, write it and say it and if we are right, say it and write it because your reports will help us navigate our way through.”