MONROVIA – Acting Finance and Development Planning Minister, Anthony G. Myers, has presented the Fiscal Year 2024 Recast National Budget, totaling US$721.5 million, to the Speaker of the 55th Legislature, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, and the President of the Liberian Senate, Vice President Jeremiah Koung. The submission took place on Friday, August 16, 2024.
During the submission, Minister Myers explained that the recast budget is necessary due to the performance of the national budget in the first six months of the year. The revision aims to rebalance the budget in response to revenue performance and the government’s intention to safeguard critical expenditures that are essential for the country’s development priorities.
Myers was joined by key officials from the ministry, including Deputy Minister for Budget Tanneh Geraldine Brunson, Assistant Minister for Budget Sarah M. Mulbah, and Deputy Minister for Administration Bill McGill Jones, among others.
However, the submission has raised concerns from some lawmakers. Margibi County District #5 Representative Clarence G. Gahr, who chairs the Joint Public Accounts and Expenditure Committee, expressed doubts over alleged discrepancies in the original budget. He pointed out the inclusion of the Liberia Broadcasting Organization (LBO) instead of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the final printing of the 2024 national budget, as well as the unexpected allotment for K-Power, which was not discussed during the executive budget presentation. Gahr also noted a 15% shift in the allocation of funds to various ministries and agencies, which he argues should have been communicated to the legislature prior to implementation.
In response to these concerns, Rep. Gahr, along with other lawmakers such as Rep. Moima Briggs-Mensah and Sen. Nathaniel McGill, is calling for a full investigation into these alleged budget alterations. They have indicated that failure to address these issues could lead to resistance against the recast budget’s discussion.
Speaker Koffa, upon receiving the draft recast budget on behalf of the Legislature, requested the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to submit all supporting documents related to the recast to aid the Ways, Means, and Finance Committee in its review. To address the allegations of budget alteration, Speaker Koffa announced the formation of a special investigative committee, which will be chaired by Bong County Electoral District 4 Representative Robert Wongbe and co-chaired by Montserrado County Electoral District 7 Representative Emmanuel Dahn. Other members of the committee include Representatives Thomas Romeo Quioh, Sekou Kanneh, and Sumo Mulbah.
Koffa reaffirmed the Legislature’s commitment to combating corruption, stating that transparency and accountability remain critical to the country’s development process. He emphasized that the successful passage of the recast budget will largely depend on the findings of the special investigative committee.
The 2024 National Budget, initially approved by the 55th Legislature in April, amounted to US$738,859,827, marking a 6.7% increase from the executive’s original proposal of US$692 million. While the need for the country to advance is clear, lawmakers stress that transparency and accountability must remain central to the process, especially with the ongoing recast budget review.
