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Claim: Liberia’s Action TV posted that the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ budget for 2026 has been heavily increased by the government. According to the claimant, the ministry’s budget increased from $14 million in 2023 to $57 million in 2026.
Verdict: Misleading! Our research found that the 2026 national budget draft showed a proposal of $57 million for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Still, findings from the approved 2023 National budget show that the ministry was allotted $20 million, not $14 million as claimed.
Full Text
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has released a draft of the national budget for fiscal year 2026. The budget is in the tune of $1.2 billion, marking a significant increase over the years. The increment has sparked public discussion on the progress of Liberia’s economy, while critics disagree.
In the midst of the controversy, Liberia’s Action TV claimed that the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ budget had been massively increased in the 2026 budget, sparking public concerns over its proper implementation.
“President Boakai has increased the budget of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to $57.06m USD for Fiscal Year 2026. The Minister of Internal Affairs is the President’s nephew and grew up with him. This astronomical increase has sparked serious concern about political corruption and a means of legitimising the passage of corrupt money through the ministry for personal gains,” the post said.
Screenshot.
The post generated 57 reactions, 32 comments, and 39 shares at the time of this write-up. Some commenters questioned the authenticity of the post, while others aligned with the claim. Their mixed reactions prompted DUBAWA to initiate a fact-check.
Verification
DUBAWA decided to research Liberia’s national budget for 2023-2026. Firstly, our research found that the 2023 national budget allotted $20 million to the Ministry, not $14 million as claimed. And the ministry’s actual outturn for 2023 was $23 million.
Screenshot.
Secondly, the draft budget for 2026 proposes $57 million for Internal Affairs. DUBAWA also noticed a gradual increase in the Ministry’s budget from 2023 to 2026. The allocation were: $20million in 2023 with fiscal outrun of $23million, $23million in 2024, $31million in 2025 with fiscal outturn of $24million and proposed $57million in 2026.
Screenshot of the 2025 and 2026 budget allocation for the ministry.
Conclusion
Based on our findings, it is misleading to suggest that the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ budget rose from $14 million in 2023 to $57 million in 2026.
