Liberia's new President Joseph Boakai will cut his salary by 40% to, according to his office, "create a precedent for responsible governance” in the West African country, plagued by poverty and corruption.

Boakai was sworn in for a six-year term in January and pledged to improve the lives of Liberians, fight widespread corruption, and uphold the rule of law.

By reducing his salary, the President is demonstrating “determination to set an example, making the Government more responsible and showing solidarity with the people“, according to a statement from the Presidency published on social media.

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than half the population living in poverty, according to a 2023 World Bank report. The country also ranks 145th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index.

A February asset declaration showed Boakai received a gross annual salary of $13.400 (€12.392).

Boakai was required to declare his assets, but not to publish them. However, he made his declaration public in June, revealing that he owned the equivalent of $970.419 (€897.434), primarily in the form of real estate.

His predecessor, George Weah, had announced a 25% salary cut due to the country's economic difficulties.

However, detractors criticized him for breaking his promise to improve the lives of the poorest and accused his government of corruption.