Africa-Press – Liberia. As findings of the Specialized Committee of the House confirm tampering of the 2024 budgetInvestigative findings of a specialized committee of the House of Representatives have confirmed unauthorized alterations to Liberia’s 2024 national budget.
The committee’s investigation revealed that the motion passed by the plenary to submit budget performance reports to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was altered, resulting in reports being redirected to the Legislative Budget Office (LBO) without official plenary approval.
The committee, which was headed by Rep. Robert Wogbe, found that the budget document was improperly recalled from the Executive by the Deputy Chief Clerk on May 7, 2024, at the request of the Senate’s Secretary.
This recall was considered “unorthodox” and not aligned with legislative procedures, leading to the original budget document being lost, with only a copy available for examination.
Despite uncovering these discrepancies, the Plenary of the House opted not to take immediate action against those implicated, sparking questions regarding accountability for the budget tampering.
Members of both chambers of the 55th Legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate, were early last month incensed over reports of potential alterations to the approved 2024 budget. The initial budget of US$738,859,827, approved by the House of Representatives in April, represented a 6.7% increase from the Executive’s proposed US$692 million.
However, concerns were raised about discrepancies amounting to at least US$20 million since the passage of the budget. Various lawmakers, including Rep. Clarence Gahr, as well as Senators Amara Konneh (Gbarpolu), and Nathaniel McGill (Margibi), expressed alarm over the alleged budget tampering and called for a thorough investigation.
The discrepancies in the final budget, such as mentions of the LBO instead of the PAC, sparked further scrutiny.
However, the investigation was prompted by concerns raised by Hon. Clarence Garh of Margibi County and revealed irregular budget modifications, including changes in oversight responsibilities and appropriations across various sectors.
Speaker J. Fonati Koffa decided to halt further budget reviews pending a resolution to the issue, emphasizing the need for transparency in the process.
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning denied the tampering allegation and called on the lawmakers to be meticulous in their activities before pointing accusing fingers.
Acting Finance Minister, Anthony Myers, told an ELBC interview that his ministry did not need to worry about it as it had done nothing wrong in handling the budget.
The ministry later admitted to realigning sectoral appropriations without proper legislative approval. The lack of disciplinary measures and clarity on the missing original budget document has left many lawmakers and even ordinary Liberians, unsatisfied.
The absence of penalties for the culprits has raised concerns about transparency and the effectiveness of the investigation. Chairman of the Specialized Committee, Rep. Robert Wogbe, was notably absent during the proceedings, leading to questions about the seriousness of the matter.
The decision not to impose consequences has raised doubts about accountability within the legislative process and sparked discussions about potential reforms needed to restore public trust. As the House prepares to review the 2024 Recast Budget, uncertainty remains about the fate of the individuals responsible for altering the budget.
The lingering questions surrounding the unauthorized changes underscore the need for further action to address the issue comprehensively and maintain the integrity of Liberia’s budgetary process.
For More News And Analysis About Liberia Follow Africa-Press
