-Former Minister Warns of Liberia’s “Growth Without Development”
MONROVIA – George Werner, Liberia’s former Minister of Education, has issued a stark warning that the government’s celebrated progress on international scorecards risks masking a failure to deliver tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Liberians, a paradox he labels a modern repeat of the nation’s historical “growth without development.”
The critique, drawn from a detailed analysis by Werner, centers on the stark contrast between Liberia’s improved performance on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) scorecard and the fragile, often disconnected realities of the national budget and daily citizen hardship.
“The government calls itself The Rescue Mission — a phrase heavy with expectation,” Werner stated. “Yet if the FY 2026 Budget continues to prioritize debt servicing over classrooms and clinics, if ghost names keep rising from payrolls while real teachers wait in line, then rescue risks becoming rhetoric.”
His comments come as the MCC FY 2026 Scorecard shows Liberia passing 12 of 22 indicators, its best performance in years. The nation passed the Fiscal Policy test for the first time since 2007, with strong showings on Land Rights, Trade Policy, and Gender in the Economy. On the surface, the data suggests a government firmly on a path of sound governance and economic management.
However, Werner points to the Draft FY 2026 National Budget, valued at roughly US$1.2 billion, to reveal a different narrative. The budget relies heavily on a one-off US$200 million “signature bonus” from a mining concession—a source of revenue that is not sustainable. Simultaneously, the General Auditing Commission (GAC) has reported a staggering US$678 million in unsupported domestic-debt claims, with about 88 percent of those reviewed lacking proper documentation.
“So while the MCC praises fiscal prudence, the budget shows fiscal risk,” Werner observed. “On the surface, Liberia looks disciplined; underneath, the foundation remains shaky.” This dichotomy, he argues, is a direct echo of the 1950s and 1960s under President William V.S. Tubman’s “Open Door Policy.” That era saw a booming economy with rising rubber and iron ore exports, new buildings, and paved roads in the capital.
Yet, for the vast majority of Liberians, especially in rural areas, this growth was an abstract concept they heard about but never felt—a classic case of economic numbers rising while human welfare stood still.
“Today, more than half a century later, that haunting phrase still fits,” Werner wrote.
The human cost of this gap is visible across the country. It is seen in Bomi County, where residents like Sona still walk nearly a mile each day for water; in Buchanan, where teacher Wleemongar struggles to educate forty students with half a stick of chalk; and in Greenville, where market woman Dehkonti’s business is crippled each rainy season by impassable roads.
Despite passing fiscal indicators, nearly half of Liberia’s school-age children remain out of school, maternal mortality ranks among the world’s highest, and youth unemployment and underemployment together exceed 60 percent.
“Rescue must not be measured in Washington’s ratings, but in Liberia’s realities,” Werner concluded, challenging the administration. “To truly rescue Liberia, leaders must close the gap between scorecard and service — to turn fiscal numbers into visible impact.”
