MONROVIA – Former House Speaker and Grand Kru County District #2 Representative, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, has called on the House of Representatives to establish a National Social Safety Net Fund aimed at providing relief for Liberia’s poor and vulnerable citizens.
In a communication dated October 24, 2025, and addressed to House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, Representative Koffa urged the Legislature to allocate US$25 million to the fund, which he said would help struggling Liberians meet essential human needs, including school fees and rent payments.
Koffa described Liberia’s economic situation as “dire,” noting that many families are living in distress due to the high cost of living and stagnant incomes. “Many families have become migratory, moving from one place to another when rent becomes due,” he wrote. “Heads of households no longer go home after work; they linger about until midnight because the landlord sits outside the home.”
The Grand Kru lawmaker lamented that while ordinary Liberians continue to suffer, senior government officials enjoy large benefits, frequent foreign travels, and the purchase of expensive vehicles. “While we seek to rescue Liberia, our solutions must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price,” Koffa asserted. “More and more families are beginning to fall in the dreadful Liberian category of ‘poor.’ This is not fair. A government of humans must lift itself to a higher moral order.”
Koffa emphasized that the Liberian government has a moral and constitutional duty to safeguard citizens during hard times, citing the United States as an example of a nation that supports its people through programs like food stamps and rental assistance.
To fund the proposed initiative, he suggested a set of cost-saving and reallocation measures, including cutting non-essential benefits and allowances across the three branches of government, reducing foreign travel, limiting vehicle purchases in public offices, redirecting part of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company’s (LPRC) operational surplus, and borrowing a portion of the funds from the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) with a repayment plan.
“These are not extraordinary sacrifices,” Koffa stated. “They are reasonable and patriotic adjustments to ensure that our people can survive these difficult times.”
He concluded by urging his colleagues to treat the proposal with urgency and compassion as they prepare to debate the 2026 National Budget. “The time to act is now,” Koffa said.
The communication is expected to be read before the House Plenary and referred to the relevant committees for review and subsequent legislative action.
