MONROVIA – On Wednesday, August 14, 2024, Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh, formerly Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, made startling claims that the 2024 national budget was altered after being passed into law. The changes, he says, have significantly impacted key sectors such as health, with $0.4 million being cut from critical drug purchases for clinics across the country.
Senator Konneh, in a statement, expressed deep frustration over what he described as a criminal act, highlighting how his persistent efforts over the past two months to address the issue through professional channels had gone unanswered. “The FY2024 National Budget was altered after passage into law, affecting funding to the health sector by $0.4 million and taking money away from buying drugs for clinics. This is wrong!” Konneh wrote, underscoring the detrimental effects on the nation’s healthcare system.
According to Konneh, the alterations occurred without legislative consent, marking a breach of trust between the branches of government. On July 6, 2024, he formally submitted a letter to Senate Pro Tempore Madam Nyonlee Karnga-Lawrence, requesting a thorough investigation into the matter. However, despite raising these concerns discreetly and trusting the leadership to resolve the issue internally, no action was taken until the budget tampering became public knowledge.
Konneh lamented the recent attempts by certain colleagues involved in managing the budget to discredit his claims, but he stood by his findings. “Whether $21 or $6 million, there is no denying that the budget was altered after Legislative approval, a criminal act,” Konneh emphasized. He also referenced previous instances where his concerns about financial mismanagement during Senate activities, such as the Senate Buchanan retreat, were similarly downplayed, only to be later confirmed by the facts.
The senator stressed that his motivation for speaking out is not personal but rooted in the need for good governance and budgetary credibility. “We are committed to upholding good governance, and budget credibility is crucial in achieving this goal. We must live by the fancy speeches we made about change on our first day of Plenary,” Konneh stated, urging his colleagues to meet the expectations of the Liberian people, who demand transparency and accountability from their leaders.
The revelations of budget alterations prompted swift action from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, who, on Friday, August 9, 2024, announced plans to seek authorization for the formation of a Joint Committee with the Senate. This committee will be tasked with conducting a comprehensive investigation into the unauthorized changes to the 2024 fiscal budget. peaker Koffa emphasized the importance of maintaining transparency, stating, “We shouldn’t only be perceived as transparent; we must be transparent and transparent to the letter, thus promoting open governance.”
The call for a joint investigation followed accusations from several lawmakers, who alleged that officials within the Executive Branch made unilateral changes to the budget after it had been approved by the Legislature. According to these claims, the figures printed in official handbills differed from those enacted by the Legislature, raising suspicions of illegal budget tampering.
Among the most serious of these accusations is that the Executive branch redirected approximately $20 million from the approved budget. This adjustment led to a 6.9% reduction in appropriations for public administration, a 0.5% cut in health sector funding, and a 2.1% decrease in allocations meant for transparency and accountability programs. These cuts, lawmakers warn, could severely impact the government’s ability to pay civil servants and volunteer health workers across Liberia.
As the investigation looms, all eyes will be on the Joint Committee’s findings, with citizens and lawmakers alike calling for swift action to ensure that those responsible for these budgetary alterations are held accountable.
