Claim: Government Official Mohammed Ali, who goes by Mo Ali on Facebook, has said the Unity Party inherited public debt at 57.8% in 2023 and has reduced it to 49.6% in 2026. The post is archived here.
Verdict: Misleading! Although inherited public debt was 57.8%, the reduction to 49.6% in 2026 is a projection by the Ministry of Finance and has not yet been achieved.
Full Text
The debate over the government’s economic performance is unlikely to end anytime soon. Over the last couple of weeks, members of the opposition have argued that the current government (Unity Party) is not making progress in changing the lives of Liberians as promised during the 2023 general elections. In response, government officials constantly take to social media to showcase the changes they believe the ruling administration is undertaking.
In the wake of this controversy, the Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), Mohammed Ali, took to Facebook to list what he believes the government has achieved since taking office.
In a post, Mo Ali said the Unity Party government inherited a public debt of 57.8% in 2023 and has reduced it to 49.6% in 2026.
The post accumulated 876 reactions, 514 comments and 24 shares. Viewers debated the authenticity of the data, while some applauded the government for its progress.
Screenshot of comments.
The mixed views on the claim led DUBAWA to initiate a fact-check.
Verification
To verify this claim, the researcher reviewed Liberia’s public debt score from credible institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Central Bank of Liberia, and the World Bank. Data from the International Monetary Fund shows the country’s public debt in 2023 stood at US$2,582 million, representing 58.8% of GDP, while the Central Bank of Liberia’s 2023 Annual Report put public debt at 58.2%.
The data can be found on page 58, titled “3.64 Public Debt,” of the Central Bank of Liberia’s 2023 Annual Report. The IMF report is on page 3, directly beneath the report’s background.
Screenshot of the report.
Additionally, the researcher found that the 49.6% reduction rate cited by the claimant is a 2026 projection announced by Minister of Finance Augustine Ngafuan on August 11, 2026, at the Monrovia City Hall during a national steering committee meeting for the government ARREST Agenda.
As reported in the media, Minister Ngafuan cited gains in reducing public debt from 58% to 54% in 2025, while assuring the body that the projection of 49.6% would be achieved by 2026.
Conclusion
Based on our findings, the 49.6% reduction in public debt is a projection yet to be achieved. Therefore, the claim is misleading.