Liberia's new president, Joseph Boakai, will reduce his salary by 40% in order to, according to his office, " create a precedent of responsible governance " in the poverty- and corruption-ridden West African country.

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 “ a determination to set an example, making the Government more accountable 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.