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IPNEWS: The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning has submitted to the House of Representatives the 2024 Draft Recast Budget.
Submitting the Recast Budget Friday, 16 August, Acting Finance Minister Anthony Myers said the submission the budget is based on their observation of the performance in the first six months of the year and a need to rebalance the budget in response to revenue performance and the Government desire to protect critical expenditure that is of priority for the Country.
Receiving the Draft Recast Budget on behalf of the 55th Legislature, House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa urged the Ministry of Finance Development Planning to submit all supporting documents for the Recast Budget to aid the Ways, Means and Finance Committee during its scrutiny.
Speaker J. Fonati Koffa said in order to improve the budget process he announced additional measures aimed at investigating allegation of budget alteration and has since named a special investigative committee chaired by Bong County Electoral District 4 Representative Robert Wongbe and co-Chair by Montserrado County Electoral District 7 Representative Emmanuel Dahn. The members include; Hon. Thomas Romeo Quioh, Hon. Sekou Kanneh, and Hon. Sumo Mulbah.
Speaker Koffa said the Legislature remains committed in the fight against corruption and will promote to the high standards transparency and accountability in Government.
The 2024 Budget was approved by the 55th Legislature in April to the tune of US$738,859,827, an increase of 6.7 percent from the version submitted by the Executive through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, which was US$692 million.
The Acting Minister Myers was accompanied by Deputy Minister for Budget Tanneh Geraldine Brunson, Assistant Minister for Budget Sarah M. Mulbah, the Deputy Minister for Administration Bill McGill Jones among others.
On Thursday, August 15, a drama ensued when officials of the Ministry of Finance and Development sorrowfully left the Capital Building without submitting the controversial recast budget to House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa.
The submission of the recast budget by the Ministry of Finance was unexpectedly delayed for several hours with series of discussion in the office of House Speaker Fonati Koffa.
At the end of the lose-door meeting, Acting Finance Minister and his team left without submitting the budget, offering no explanation for the delay.
This development has heightened tensions within the Capitol, as several lawmakers, including Representatives Musa Bility, Frank Saah Foko, Dixo Siebo, Ivar Jones, and Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, were seen in series of closed-door discussions with the Finance Ministry team.
Sources suggest that some lawmakers particularly from the opposition block were considering rejecting the recast budget due to alleged tampering and the controversial inclusion of 10 million for the payment of the “yellow machines”, even though this has not been independently verified. However, Finance Ministry were heard saying it would resubmit the budget on Friday.
On the heels of this, tension continued to mount at the Liberian Senate over an alleged alteration in the 2024 budget alteration.
This time, the controversy has twisted with claims and counterclaims between Margibi county Senator and Nimba County District No. 2 Representative Musa Hassan Bility with pointed fingers at both the Legislature and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for the alleged budget alteration.
At a news conference Thursday, Margibi County Senator Nathaniel McGill accused the Finance Ministry of altering the approved instrument national budget, while Representative Musa Bility maintains that the Liberian Senate tempered with the budget without the consent of the House of Representatives.
The accusing fingers of members of both Houses of the 55th Legislature raises concerns and calls for an independent investigation into the alleged alteration in the approved 2024 annual budget.
Recently, acting Minister of Finance, Anthony Myers revealed on Spoon Talk on Spoon FM/TV that US$600,000 was allotted to a global energy group named; โKarpowershipโ or โKarpowerโ and stated that any claim of alteration, the both Houses should check themselves instead of ministry or the Executive.
At a joint news conference on Capitol Hill Thursday, August 15, Senator McGill accused the Ministry of Finance of being solely responsible for altering the already approved legislative instrument, describing the alleged acts as criminal, and requiring an impartial investigation by the same the leadership of the 55th Legislature.
On the contrary, Representative Musa Hassan Bility of Nimba County Electoral District #2 stated that while he supports Senator McGill 70% , yet there was a need for an investigation before any discussion on budget recast would be entertained
Rep. Bility stated that there were sufficient reasons to believed that 30% was altered by the Ministry of Finance.
He stressed that the alleged action by the ministry of Finance is criminal which requires investigation.
Bility further disagreed with McGillโs call for the legislature to investigate itself, emphasizing that the august body lacks the capacity to do so, and urged the legislature to allow the General Auditing Commission and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission for good governance and transparency.
