-To support the most vulnerable citizens
MONROVIA – Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, the former Speaker of Liberia’s House of Representatives, is set to submit a proposal to the plenary of the House of Representatives for the creation of a $25 million Social Safety Net Fund designed to support the nation’s most vulnerable citizens with essential costs like school fees and rent. The former Speaker made this disclosure on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, through a detailed post on his official Facebook page, directly addressing the severe financial difficulties being experienced by the populace.
Cllr. Koffa announced that he would present a letter on the floor of the House this Thursday calling for the establishment of this substantial fund. He framed this initiative as an urgent and necessary response to the period of widespread financial difficulty, often described locally as “the town being hard.”
He justified the need for direct government intervention by citing international examples, pointing out that even a major economic power like the United States provides relief to its citizens through social programs such as food stamps. The former Speaker’s proposal comes amid growing public unrest and visible distress over the rising cost of living.
He explicitly acknowledged this climate of frustration, stating that the Liberian people are restless and crying out for relief, and he emphatically declared that the government must act now to address the escalating crisis. A central and striking feature of the former Speaker’s proposal is its innovative funding strategy, which is based on internal government austerity measures rather than new taxes.
Cllr. Koffa detailed a multi-pronged approach to raise the $25 million, beginning with a direct reduction of benefits and allowances for current lawmakers. His plan further calls for significant cuts to the budgets for foreign travel by government officials and a limitation on the purchase of new government vehicles.
To complete the funding, the proposal suggests redirecting resources from the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and securing a loan from the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), the national pension fund. This comprehensive model presents the relief effort as a shared sacrifice, where savings from within the government are channeled directly to the struggling public.
As a former presiding officer of the House, Cllr. Koffa’s proposal carries considerable political weight and is likely to spark a serious debate within the legislature, testing his ongoing influence and the current leadership’s willingness to adopt a radical approach to economic relief.
