By By: Staff Writer
Former Commerce Minister Amin Modad has waded into the growing “billion-dollar beef” over the Liberia Revenue Authority’s historic US$1 billion domestic revenue collection, slamming what he calls ‘bad belle’ politics aimed at discrediting the achievement.
In a blunt post just hours after the LRA announcement, Modad accused critics of shifting the goalpost because the record was set under the Unity Party administration.
“Why are people discounting and politicizing improved national revenue generation? If this is sustainable and managed properly, shouldn’t this be to everyone’s benefit? Or is it because it was achieved under the Unity Party administration?” he asked.
Modad insisted the milestone transcends partisanship.
“$1 billion in domestic revenue should be seen as a Liberian achievement, not a partisan one,” he said, arguing that with foreign aid cuts and tough global headwinds, Liberia must learn to finance its own development — from social services and roads to food production, tourism, better pay for civil servants, and debt repayment.
He said more domestic revenue means “less dependence on external support and more ability to finance our own development.”
But Modad also threw a challenge to the government he appears to defend: collect all you want, but Liberians must feel it.
“This achievement should be welcomed; but the real test is sustainability, transparency, accountability, and ensuring that ordinary Liberians actually feel the benefits,” he wrote.
He ended with a rallying cry: “CONGRATULATIONS LIBERIA! GOOD WORK LRA!”
