MONROVIA — A member of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Benedict Kolubah, has described the proposed US$1.54 billion Fiscal Year 2027 National Budget as “illogical,” questioning the government’s projected reduction in compensation spending despite what he says is a significantly higher expenditure in the current fiscal year.
Kolubah’s criticism centers on figures presented by Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who reportedly disclosed that the government had spent approximately US$300.697 million on employee compensation as of September 30, 2026, excluding an additional US$26 million reportedly classified under other compensation within the Goods and Services category.
According to Kolubah’s calculations, the government’s monthly compensation expenditure stands at approximately US$33.41 million. He argues that an additional US$100.23 million would be required to cover the final three months of FY2026.
This, he estimates, would bring total compensation expenditure for FY2026 to approximately US$400.93 million, or US$426.93 million when the additional US$26 million is included.
However, Kolubah questioned why the proposed FY2027 National Budget allocates only US$369.401 million for compensation, representing a reduction of approximately US$57.53 million compared with his projected FY2026 expenditure.
He challenged Minister Ngafuan to explain how the government intends to achieve such a substantial reduction in the wage bill within one fiscal year.
“How does Ngafuan intend to reduce compensation by US$57.53 million?” Kolubah questioned, raising concerns about whether the Civil Service Agency (CSA) plans to remove employees from the government payroll or downgrade some workers under the pretext of reclassification.
The CDC partisan further accused the government of presenting a budget that lacks proper fiscal reconciliation and called on Minister Ngafuan to withdraw the proposed spending plan for further review.
“Ngafuan, withdraw the budget immediately for proper reconciliation. As it is, the budget is illogical and doesn’t make any fiscal sense,” Kolubah stated.
His comments add to growing scrutiny of the proposed US$1.54 billion FY2027 National Budget, particularly regarding government expenditure priorities, public-sector compensation, and the allocation of resources for national development.
The central issue raised by Kolubah is whether the proposed reduction in compensation reflects genuine government payroll reforms, improved expenditure management, or an unexplained gap between actual spending and the next fiscal year’s projections.
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Civil Service Agency should clarify the assumptions behind the proposed compensation allocation, including whether it accounts for payroll cleaning, employee reclassification, recruitment, salary adjustments, and other compensation obligations.
Editorial verification note: Kolubah’s US$426.93 million figure is a projection based on his calculation, not yet an independently confirmed FY2026 final expenditure. The US$26 million classified under Goods and Services should also be verified to determine whether it is additional to, or already reflected in, the reported compensation figure.
