By Wilmot Konah
Monrovia, Liberia — Liberia has surpassed US$1 billion in domestic revenue generation for the first time in the country’s 179-year history, with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai pledging that ordinary Liberians must feel the benefits of the milestone.
President Boakai made the announcement Monday, September 14, 2026, in a special national address, describing the achievement as a historic milestone in Liberia’s efforts to mobilize resources from within the country.
According to the President, domestic revenue has increased from approximately US$612 million in 2023 to US$699 million in 2024 and US$848 million in 2025, before exceeding US$1 billion in 2026.
He said the government is also on course to meet its annual budget target of US$1.3 billion by the end of December.
President Boakai said the achievement should not be viewed simply as a figure on the government’s ledger, but as a resource that must translate into tangible improvements in the lives of Liberians.
“Behind every dollar stands a Liberian,” Boakai said, emphasizing that every dollar generated must deliver results that citizens can see and feel.
He said the government is considering setting aside a portion of the increased revenue through a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle to provide affordable financing for Liberian-owned businesses and support other critical sectors of the economy.
The President said the initiative is intended to align with his administration’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development and promote broader economic participation.
Boakai specifically said the increased revenue should help improve the conditions of ordinary market women, while also supporting civil servants, students, teachers, health workers and other public servants. He called for improved learning conditions, renovations at public schools and the University of Liberia, regular supplies of medicines to public hospitals and sustained support for doctors, nurses and teachers.
The President said the increased revenue has already enabled his administration to raise salaries for more than 23,000 public service workers and officials in the health, public works and security sectors, as well as the Judiciary, General Auditing Commission and Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission. He added that more than 3,400 long-serving volunteer teachers and health workers have been placed on the national payroll.
According to President Boakai, the revenue has also supported efforts by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency to combat dangerous drugs, the recruitment and training of 600 new Armed Forces personnel, youth skills and livelihood opportunities, and road works through the procurement and deployment of yellow machines across the counties.
The President credited the Liberia Revenue Authority, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, other government institutions and taxpayers for the increase in domestic revenue.
He, however, cautioned against complacency, saying the achievement comes with a greater responsibility to remain accountable and ensure that the resources generated are used for the public good. “To our taxpayers—market women, traders, workers, professionals, and businesses—this achievement belongs to you,” Boakai said, stressing that government must also keep faith with those who contribute to the country’s revenue.
