CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia (The Saharaa) – The fiscal year 2024 National Budget of Liberia is currently under review following allegations of unauthorized modifications. The House of Representatives has called upon the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to address these claims.
During a regular session on Thursday, Representative Clarence Gahr of District #5, Margibi County, alerted his colleagues about potential alterations in the approved national budget for fiscal year 2024 by the executive branch. He warned that this could set a dangerous precedent, leading to further violations and tampering with laws passed by the Legislature.
In his communication to the plenary, Rep. Gahr stated, “At the final stage and signing of the 2024 National Budget, the law was sent without these amendments of plenary, altering the decision of the Honorable House of Representatives, thus making the 2024 National Budget voidable in its entirety.” He further cautioned that if immediate action is not taken, many laws may be tampered with in the future, potentially damaging the image and integrity of the House of Representatives.
Rep. Gahr cited a specific instance where the Legislative Budget Office (LBO) was to be replaced by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as per a motion by Rep. James Kolleh of District #2, Bong County. Despite expectations that all amendments would be incorporated before the budget was printed into handbill, these changes were omitted.
The House of Representatives has agreed to a motion to forward the communication to the House Leadership and summon the Ministry of Finance with a copy of the budget within one week. This situation has raised many questions among lawmakers, particularly regarding the decision to rescind the functions of the Legislative Budget Office and the legality of this move.
The 55th Legislature passed the fiscal year 2024 National Budget at the end of April, amounting to 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. The Executive’s version, submitted in March, totaled US$692 million. However, after a thorough budget hearing and consultations with revenue-generating entities, the Joint Committee on Ways, Means, and Finance and Public Accounts of both the House and Senate identified additional projected revenue of US$46,451,000.
The decision to pass the budget followed a recommendation from the Joint Committee, and President Joseph Boakai subsequently signed it into law, which has since been printed into a handbill. The President has returned a copy of the act approving the budget to the Legislature for their records.
This ongoing issue requires careful attention and resolution to ensure the integrity of the legislative process and the proper allocation of national resources. The outcome of this situation will be closely watched as it unfolds.
