MONROVIA — Senator Emmanuel Nuquay, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Corporations, has raised concerns over delays in disbursing Social Development Funds (SDFs) to counties, warning that the government’s handling of the money is undermining decentralization and slowing development across Liberia.
By Obediah Johnson
Nuquay, who represents Margibi County in the 55th Legislature, said millions of United States dollars paid by concession companies for development in their operational areas had been deposited into the government’s Consolidated Account and subsequently used by the government, leaving counties awaiting their allocations.
He made the remarks during a regular session of the Liberian Senate in Monrovia on Thursday, October 15, calling on his colleagues to engage the relevant authorities to ensure that counties receive the funds intended to finance local development projects.
Social Development Funds are payments made by concession companies to the Government of Liberia for allocation to counties where the companies operate, supporting development initiatives in affected communities.
According to Nuquay, local authorities in Margibi County have repeatedly followed up on their outstanding allocations but have yet to receive the funds. He disclosed that officials of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning had assured them that the money deposited into the Consolidated Account would be appropriated to the counties through the 2027 national budget.
“Funds intended for the counties were paid into the Consolidated Account and in time past, the government used those monies,” Nuquay said.
The senator argued that delaying the release of the funds until the next budget cycle could further slow the implementation of projects intended to address the needs of communities across the country.
He urged the Senate to intervene and ensure that concession-related development funds reach their intended beneficiaries rather than remain tied to the centralized budgetary process.
Centralized Funding Under Scrutiny
Nuquay questioned whether the centralized appropriation and disbursement of funds could deliver the decentralization Liberians outside Monrovia have long anticipated.
He argued that counties would be better positioned to identify and address their development priorities if local authorities had timely access to the resources allocated to them.
“One of the ways to ensure that the different counties are developed and different development projects are undertaken in time is to also ensure monies intended for those counties are given to them,” he said.
The senator stressed that lawmakers should prioritize county-level development projects during the scrutiny and passage of the 2027 national budget, ensuring that allocations respond to the needs of communities across Liberia.
He maintained that development planning and implementation should not be concentrated in Monrovia, where national ministries and agencies often make decisions affecting communities far removed from the capital.
According to Nuquay, officials administering the national budget from Monrovia may not fully understand the everyday challenges confronting residents in rural counties, potentially limiting the effectiveness of development programs designed without adequate local input.
He called for greater responsibility to be placed in the hands of local authorities, arguing that counties are better positioned to identify pressing needs and determine which projects require urgent attention.
Nuquay said timely access to county development funds would help local authorities implement projects more efficiently and make decentralization more meaningful to ordinary citizens.
Colleges, Universities Face Funding Disparities
Beyond the delayed disbursement of Social Development Funds, Nuquay raised concerns about what he described as significant disparities in government budgetary allocations to community colleges and universities across Liberia.
He specifically cited institutions operating in Margibi County, arguing that their allocations were inadequate relative to the county’s population and educational needs.
The senator called on his colleagues to establish a fair and consistent standard for distributing government support among public colleges and universities, warning that uneven allocations could leave some institutions struggling to meet their responsibilities.
“We should ensure that everyone or every county is accommodated appropriately,” he said.
“When you look at the budget currently, there are big counties in human population but the support for their universities is far less than other counties. And I think we should be able to address that.”
Nuquay argued that population and educational demand should be considered when determining how public resources are distributed among tertiary institutions.
He also raised concerns about substantial salary disparities at some colleges and universities, urging lawmakers to examine the issue as part of the broader review of public funding for higher education.
His concerns add to the questions facing legislators as they prepare to review the 2027 national budget, particularly how available resources should be distributed among counties and public institutions to promote equitable development.
However, the senator did not provide specific budget figures or identify the institutions whose allocations and salary structures he cited, leaving the precise scale of the disparities unclear.
Road Projects Await Procurement Decisions
Nuquay also expressed concern over delays in road construction and rehabilitation projects funded under the 2026 national budget, accusing the Ministry of Public Works of failing to move the projects forward quickly enough.
He said although funding had been allocated for road works in various counties, the ministry had yet to complete the procurement processes required to select contractors to undertake the projects.
The delays, he warned, could undermine implementation, particularly as Liberia approaches the dry season, when road construction and rehabilitation activities can be more practical in many areas.
Nuquay called on the Senate to invite officials of the Ministry of Public Works to explain the status of the projects, outline the reasons for the delays and provide a clear timeline for implementation.
He also urged the ministry to expedite procurement procedures so that contractors can be selected and work can begin without further delay.
The senator’s concerns highlight the gap between budgetary allocations and actual project implementation, raising questions about whether resources approved by lawmakers are translating into visible improvements in communities.
For residents in counties where roads remain difficult to navigate, delays in awarding contracts can prolong transportation challenges, restrict access to markets and essential services, and hinder local economic activity.
Nuquay’s call for a Senate inquiry would provide lawmakers an opportunity to assess the progress of the projects and determine what administrative or procurement obstacles may be preventing their implementation.
Pressure Builds Ahead of 2027 Budget
The senator’s interventions on county development funds, higher education financing and road construction point to broader concerns about the distribution and execution of public resources.
As the Legislature prepares to scrutinize the 2027 national budget, Nuquay is urging lawmakers to look beyond the figures approved for ministries, agencies and counties and examine whether the resources are reaching the intended beneficiaries in a timely manner.
His position is that decentralization cannot be achieved solely through policy commitments or budgetary provisions. Counties must also receive the funds allocated to them and have a meaningful role in determining how those resources are used to address local priorities.
The delayed Social Development Funds, unequal allocations to tertiary institutions and stalled road procurement processes, he argued, require greater legislative oversight to ensure that development commitments are translated into action.
The Senate has yet to publicly outline any specific action resulting from Nuquay’s concerns, including whether it will summon officials of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning or the Ministry of Public Works to provide further explanations.
For now, the central question remains whether the government will release the outstanding county development funds, address disparities in educational financing and accelerate road projects already provided for in the national budget.
The outcome could have significant implications for the government’s decentralization agenda and its efforts to ensure that development resources are distributed more equitably across Liberia.