President Joseph Boakai has officially submitted the draft national budget for fiscal year 2026, totaling $1.211 billion, to Parliament. This record figure reflects the government’s ambition to focus on productive investment and inclusion, rather than solely on managing mining revenues.
The 2026 budget builds on the ARREST Agenda, President Boakai’s development framework. What sets it apart is the growing allocation to the Public Sector Investment Plan, which increases from approximately $110 million in 2025 to over $281 million, partly funded by the $200 million signing bonus paid by ArcelorMittal.
President Boakai emphasized that this budget is designed so that “every dollar works for the people,” with the goal of moving away from a pattern of “unfinished projects” to build resilient infrastructure. The infrastructure sector receives the largest allocation, with $133.21 million earmarked for road construction, equipment procurement, and regional connectivity.
In the energy sector, the government has secured an additional $57 million from the World Bank to double the capacity of the 20-megawatt solar power plant at Mount Coffee. In addition, a second Compact project with the Millennium Challenge Corporation is in the works to expand access to reliable electricity. Road infrastructure is also receiving special attention.
On July 28, 2026, President Boakai inaugurated the Gbarnga-Salayea corridor, an 81-kilometer road funded by Arab partners at a cost of $51 million. At the same time, the government has begun construction on the Salayea-Konia and Zorzor-Yeala roads.
Finally, youth employment is a priority, with large-scale recruitment into the security forces, the hiring of volunteer teachers and health care workers into the civil service, and the launch of a national cadet program.
By prioritizing public investment over reliance on mining revenues alone, President Boakai is affirming his vision of inclusive growth, in which infrastructure and young people become the driving forces behind a prosperous and resilient Liberia.
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