The civil society organization Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL) has presented its 2026 “Shadow Budget Option Paper” to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Richard Koon, calling for greater transparency and accountability in Liberia’s forthcoming national budget.
The paper, developed with support from the Embassy of Ireland, outlines how government resources should be allocated in the financial year 2026 to match national development goals and support meaningful citizen participation.
Making the presentation, IWL Executive Director, Harold Aidoo noted that the move aims at ” ensuring that budget allocations are aligned with the national development plan and the government’s ARREST Agenda”
Audio added that it places emphasis on inclusive development.
” Mr. Speaker and members of the House of Representatives, by making this presentation we are joining forces to help in strengthening fiscal transparency by publishing detailed expenditure plans and performance indicators for each ministry and agency,” Aidoo added.
” We undertook this task by going to 14 of the fifteen counties to help in Increasing citizen engagement in the budget process, especially at the county and community levels, to improve oversight and responsiveness, ” Aidoo further asserted.
He further disclosed ” the people across the country are stressing the need to prioritize sectors such as education, health, infrastructure and climate resilience, where poor allocation or weak follow-through have undermined service delivery in the past, ”
Aiddoo pointed out that that the people are advocating for stronger systems to monitor and evaluate budget performance, to reduce leakages and inefficiencies.
In its presentation, IWL emphasized that a sound budget is not simply about setting numbers but about translating government commitments into results that citizens actually experience. The organization stressed that without sufficient oversight and participation, even well-intentioned budgets often fall short.
Receiving the document, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon, commended Integrity Watch for its efforts in present the budget option paper.
” We applaud civil society for always availing itself to promote transparency and accountability in the budget process,” Speaker Koon noted.
Speaker Koon assured that the House of Representatives Budget Committee will review the recommendations contained in document and revert to IWL.
” We are listening to the recommendations of the people, and we can assure you that we will work in their best interest, ” said Speaker Koon.
While thanking IWL for coming with the budget option paper, Mr. Koon empathized that the recommendations will be prioritized.
The submission of the paper marks an important step in IWL’s broader mission to promote open governance and fiscal accountability in Liberia.
As the 2026 budget process advances, the recommendations put forward by IWL will be watched by both civil society and government stakeholders with the goal that their uptake could serve as a barometer of Liberia’s commitment to more transparent and inclusive public finances.
