Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan is a distinguished Liberian financial expert, diplomat, and international development practitioner, currently serving as Minister of Finance and Development Planning and Head of the Economic Management Team in the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., a position he assumed in September 2024. In this role, he leads fiscal policy, budget management, and development planning, overseeing the completion and launch of Liberia's Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) for 2025-2029, the 15 County Development Agendas, and efforts that secured the country's eligibility and reaffirmation for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact under President Trump administration, while achieving the historic milestone of ensuring timely passage of the national budget before the fiscal year for the first time in Liberia's history. Mr. Ngafuan brings over 20 years of experience in public service, finance, diplomacy, and multilateral development institutions, with a focus on economic reform, debt relief, infrastructure development, and regional cooperation. He is a champion of transparent governance and has driven innovations such as the Public Financial Management (PFM) Law, the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), and the adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (2012-2015), where he negotiated key bilateral agreements, including a US$60 million grant from China for the Ministerial Complex and US$50 million from Japan for the Somalia Drive expansion, while advocating for Liberia during the Ebola crisis at the UN Security Council and contributing to the African Union's Agenda 2063. From 2008 to 2012, as Minister of Finance, he spearheaded Liberia's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Completion Point, securing nearly US$5 billion in debt cancellation, mobilized US$250 million for the Redlight-Gbarnga-Guinea border road, championed the passage of the landmark PFM Law, and introduced reforms including the IFMIS, direct deposit payments, and the County Development Fund. Earlier, Mr. Ngafuan served as Director General of the Bureau of Budget (2006-2008), becoming the youngest Cabinet member at age 35. From 2020 to 2024, he served as Country Manager for the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Uganda, managing a US$2.2 billion portfolio and growing it by nearly US$600 million. He also served on the Board of Ecobank Liberia Limited, chairing its Audit Committee (2019-2020), and was National Campaign Manager for Joseph Nyuma Boakai's 2017 presidential campaign. Mr. Ngafuan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Economics (summa cum laude) from the University of Liberia, where he served as President of the University of Liberia Student Union (1998-2000), representing nearly 12,000 students. He earned an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Rochester's William E. Simon School of Business, and holds executive certificates in central banking, public financial management, economic growth, and leadership from institutions including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Harvard Kennedy School, and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Ngafuan was born on April 7, 1970, in Monrovia. A gifted poet, his piece The African Teacher won second prize in the BBC Network Africa Poetry Competition in 2001. Beyond his professional and literary achievements, he is an avid supporter of soccer. He is married and blessed with four children.