Liberia's City Street Projects Stalled Despite $10 Million Allocation

Liberia's county capitals have been promised paved streets for years, but the projects have stalled despite a $10 million allocation this year. According to the Ministry of Public Works' draft national budget for 2027, the government had recorded over $10 million against 15 city street projects in towns from Buchanan to Zwedru. However, the ministry stated that not a single contractor had been paid, citing paperwork issues at the Ministry of Finance.

The funds are stuck at the purchase-order stage, a step short of releasing cash to contractors. The Ministry of Public Works expects the work to be substantially complete by March 2027. In Liberia, public money passes through several stages before reaching a contractor, including approval from the Legislature, clearance from the procurement regulator, and release of an allotment from the Finance Ministry.

The majority of the city streets money is stuck at the fourth gate, with most projects awaiting a "No Objection" from the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC). The budget book suggests that the money may run out before the asphalt arrives, with Liberia's fiscal year ending on December 31. The draft budget for 2027 shows blank lines for city streets under Public Works.

Public Works Minister Roland Layfette Giddings has called November and December critical months for the projects, as the dry season provides the best window to build. The ministry's statement followed local media reports that $10.1 million had been disbursed, which it denied. According to the ministry, 14 projects have cleared the PPCC, with $9.12 million of $13.2 million budgeted recorded.

The projects that have cleared the PPCC show money recorded, but most sit at around 70 percent of their budgets, indicating a fixed tranche set aside rather than bills paid for work done. However, there are discrepancies in the figures, with two projects recorded in full: $300,000 for streets in Ganta and $200,000 for a road to the Duport Road/Soul Clinic community.

The delays are not new, with Giddings acknowledging in October that the programme was behind schedule. The ministry had drawn up the contracts with legislators, but engineers had to gather data in the field before tendering could begin. The deeper problem is time, with roughly $4.1 million budgeted for cleared projects not set aside at all.

Unless unspent balances are carried over or lawmakers restore the lines before passing the budget, towns could be left with signed contracts and no money to honour them. The same budget page raises wider questions about the ministry's spending, including a programme to buy road-building "yellow machines" that had recorded $8.57 million against a $5.97 million budget.

Key points

• The Liberian government's city street projects are stalled despite a $10 million allocation this year.
• The funds are stuck at the purchase-order stage due to paperwork issues at the Ministry of Finance.
• The projects face a tight deadline, with the dry season ending soon and the fiscal year closing on December 31.