Africa-Press – Liberia. The 55th Legislature is out on recess now. The House of Representatives and the Senate left for their first break last week Tuesday with a lot of interesting things that were decided on, some even historical. The ratification of the adoption of Value Added Tax (VAT) replacing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the passage of the 2024 National Budget in the tone of US$738.8m, and the adoption of the Special War and Economic Crimes Court were among those milestone decisions made by the 55th Legislature.
Now that the break will end this Friday and the lawmakers will be returning to Capitol Hill with a litany of issues, especially oversight-related, await the lawmakers’ actions.
Legislative Projects
In the 2024 National Budget, US$11.8m has been allocated for the Legislative Support Projects (LSP) for members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Accordingly, US$100,000.00 has been allotted for each of the District Legislative Projects, totaling US$7.3m; while for the Senators, US$150,000 has been also allotted for each County Legislative Project with an overall sum of US$4.5m and the total of the Legislative Support Project is US$11.8m.
According to the implementation framework, the Liberia Agency of Community Empowerment (LACE) will implement all legislative projects.
LACE is an agent of the Executive which was established by the Community Empowerment Act pursuant to Chapter 50B of Title 12 of the Liberian Code of Laws as of July 22, 2004.
The objectives of the Agency are to improve the living standards of poor communities through the provisions and strengthening of basic social services and to promote a community-based approach in sub-project identification, preparation, implementation, administration, and maintenance, among others.
Oversight
Furthered, according to the implementation framework, LACE will only construct or undertake a project in a district or county that is only designed and approved by the District Representative or Senator. The Representative or Senator in consultation with his or her constituents, will discuss and approve a project and such project will be submitted to an Oversight Committee for onward submission to the LACE.
For the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Oversight Committee is Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah. The Deputy Speaker and members of the Project’s Oversight Committee were appointed by Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa to ensure that lawmakers’ projects are implemented to the letter, standard, and worth the money value.
The return of the lawmakers will kick off their processes including designs of projects, procurement, and bidding which will overall bow down to oversight of US$100,000 worth of projects done in each district between now to December 2024 – an extension of three months in 2025.
There are reports that a newly established department, the Legislative Support Program Department, will serve as the Secretariat.
US$45K Vehicle for Everyone
The 55th Legislature will also set up an Oversight Committee to ensure that all Ministers, Deputies, Assistants, Commissioners, Director General, and heads of agencies and corporations, among other governmental institutions, must use a vehicle valued at most US$45,000.
The threshold amount of US$45,000 will also affect representatives and senators, except the Vice President, Speaker, and Senate Pro Tempore.
However, a lawmaker may add upon his or her US$45,000 allotted to buy a car of his or her choice.
Lawmaking
There are some laws before the Legislature that the Chief Executive, President Joseph N. Boakai wants to be passed into law in the interest of the country.
One of many is the renaming of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the “MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.”
The president said in his communication that the Objective of the Act is to amend the Act establishing the Ministry of Internal Affairs and to create in its stead the Ministry of Local Government consistent with the Local Government Act of 2018.
Another is the passage of the PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ACT, of 2024, which is aimed to establish arrangements for the political transfer administration from one democratically elected President to another democratically elected President, to provide for the regulation of the political transfer of power and related matters.
President Boakai argued: “Honorable Speaker, you may be aware that our nation is rapidly cultivating democratic values for healthy democratization, peaceful advancement, and enduring permanency. The transfer of political power from one democratically elected president to another democratically elected president in our recent history is a testament to this significant democratic progress.”
He added, “However, the non-existence of a legal mechanism/protocol for the organization and smooth transition has been a national issue, sometimes creating inefficacy in the process.”
President Boakai said when the Act is enacted; it shall apply to, and govern, all transitional activities of the government, of Liberia following the holding of general and presidential elections, culminating in the transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another.
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