{
  "id": 8243429,
  "title": "Liberia: Ngafuan Says U.S.$1 Billion Tax Haul Spent, Braces for U.S.$200m Gap",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/liberia-ngafuan-says-u-s-1-billion-tax-haul-spent-braces-for-u-s-200m",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-18T12:30:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "AllAfrica",
    "slug": "allafrica",
    "url": "https://allafrica.com/stories/202609180375.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan of Liberia disclosed that the country's record $1 billion in tax collections for the year have already been spent, leaving a projected $200 million gap. This is because roughly a fifth of the funds, about $200 million, came from a one-time mining payment that will not be repeated in 2027. Ngafuan made these remarks on OK Morning Rush, a day after President Joseph Boakai announced the tax haul in a national address. He emphasized that the government's current bank balance is only a fraction of the annual collections, likely no more than $50 million. The minister cited specific uses of the funds, including the recruitment of 600 soldiers, the construction of a diagnostic testing center, timely salary payments, clearing of media debts, and road paving projects. He noted that the $1 billion figure represents domestic revenue collected from January to September 14, which was above projections and led to a $200 million gap for the next budget year.",
  "summary": "[Liberian Investigator] MONROVIA -- Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan says Liberia's record $1 billion in tax collections this year is already spent, not sitting in a government account, funding new soldiers, early salary payments and long-overdue debts to local banks and media houses. But about $200 million of that total, roughly a fifth, came from a one-time mining payment that will not…",
  "key_points": [
    "Finance Minister Ngafuan says $1 billion in tax collections spent, leaving $200 million gap.",
    "$200 million came from one-time mining payment not recurring in 2027.",
    "Funds used for soldiers recruitment, testing center, salaries, media debts, road projects."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}