Liberia: Senate to Look Into USAID Audit Request

The Liberian Senate says it is reviewing call to audit all USAID-funded programs in the country.

– The Plenary of the Liberian Senate mandates its Committee on Public Accounts and Audit to do a comprehensive analysis of a request for the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to audit all public institutions that received funding from USAID.

Plenary’s decision was predicated upon a communication from Montserrado County Senator Saah H. Jospeh, seeking the indulgence of the Senate to audit Ministries and Agencies here that have benefited funding from USAID during the period 2018 to 2025.

In his communication submitted to Senate President Pro-Tempore, Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, on Thursday, February 20, 2025, Senator Joseph stressed the need for transparency and accountability in the use of donor funds.

He acknowledges the significant contributions of USAID funds, highlighting that the United States Aid for International Development has been a key partner in Liberia’s development through financial interventions and technical support to governance, infrastructure, education, health and economics.

According to Senator Joseph, the proposed audit is also aimed at assessing allocation and disbursement of USAID funds, compliance with financial regulations and effectiveness of funded projects.

He adds that said audit will at the same time place the Legislature in a better position to understand and possibly recall the 2025 Budget or seek a recast of the budget to address funding gaps amidst the cancellation of USAID funds by President Donald Trump.

Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has acknowledged that there are direct and indirect impacts of the aid cancellation, noting that there are other international organizations that had been supported by USAID and they have scaled down support, with USAID being Liberia’s second largest donor next to the World Bank.

He recalls that USAID support to Liberia from 2021-2929 totals US$422 million, and agreement had been concluded to receive support in the tune of more than US$100 million to support education, health, agriculture and other key areas when everything was halted by President Donald Trump.

Asked what Liberia is doing to mitigate obstacles faced by the cancellation of USAID-funded projects, he says the government has accepted the decision of the United States Government, and discloses that the Ministry of Finance has just concluded and will be submitting to President Boakai and the 55th Legislature short and long-term impacts and what is to be done to addressing the shocks.