𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴

-But!

Members of the House of Representatives have mandated the Leadership to invite the Ministry of Finance Development Planning on claims of alteration in the 2024 National Budget Law.

Plenary reached the decision Thursday, 6 June 2024 during the 7th day sitting based on a communication from Hon. Clarence G. Gar of Electoral District 5 Margibe County. In his letter, the Lawmaker claimed that illegal alteration was made in the 2024 National Budget Law and asked his colleagues to recall it.

Rep. Gar made specific example to a decision that the Legislative Budget Office (LBO) be replaced by the Public Account Committee.

“𝑰𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 2024 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝑩𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑯𝒐𝒏.𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒌𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒕 2, 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 2024 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑩𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝑳𝒂𝒘 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑳𝑩𝑶 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝑷𝑨𝑪 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒘”. The Margibi lawmaker stated.

Following the floor debate, plenary agreed upon a motion from Hon. Ivar Jones that the communication be forwarded to the House Leadership to handle the matter and that Ministry of Finance appear with copy of the Budget within one week.

Meanwhile, it appears that Rep. Gar is in error, as a motion from one house of the legislature can’t supersede a law. According to the law which created the LBO and the PFM, the LBO has the statutory responsibility. 

Though Representative 𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒌𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒉‘ motion 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒅 at the House of Representatives, sake did not applyat the Senate prior to the passage of the budget.

The Plenary of the Liberian Senate on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, unanimously concurred with the House of Representatives for the passage of the 2024 National Budget, tallying US$738,859,827.

The passage by the Senate during the final sitting of the Special session included adjustments and discovery of additional revenue envelope of US$46,451,000.

In his report before the Senate’s concurrence, the Chairman of the committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget, Bong County Senator, Prince K. Moye, disclosed that there was an adjustments to domestic debt obligations creating a net fiscal space of US$ 96,101,000.

According to Chairman Moye, key considerations were given to Social Development US$15.5million, Security and Rule of Law US$12.3 million, Infrastructure and Basic Services US$ 8.9 million, Municipal Government US$7.4 million, Energy and Environment US$ 7.1 million, Agriculture US$ 3.4million, Education US$3.3 million, Transparency and Accountability US$1.7million, including Industry and Commerce US$1.6 Million, as well US$4million for rehabilitation of disadvantaged youth (Zogoes) respectively.

During their individual inputs on the national envelope, Senators expressed concerns over Budget misuse and vowed to strengthen oversight to ensure it serves the best interests of the Liberian State and the Citizenry.

According to a Senate Press Release, the 2024 fiscal envelop which was itemized will ensure the allotment of 25 percent of the Road Fund for the purchase of road equipment for all counties for maintenance purposes.

Accordingly, all revenue collected from the road fund shall be presented to the road authority by the Ministry of Finance and development Planning of which 5% shall be for administration of the Road Fund. The budget was later signed by the President.