Capitol Hill, Monrovia – Members of the House of Representatives have directed the Leadership to invite the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to address claims of alterations in the 2024 National Budget Law.
During a regular session on Thursday, Representative Clarence Gahr (District #5, Margibi County) informed his colleagues that the executive may have altered the approved national budget for fiscal year 2024.
Rep. Gahr’s communication to the plenary revealed that the executive allegedly ignored amendments made by the Legislature during the final review stages of the budget. He cautioned that without stringent measures, this could lead to further violations and tampering with laws passed by the Legislature.
“Mr. Presiding, Deputy Presiding, Distinguished Colleagues, it will surprise you to note that 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,” Rep. Gahr stated.
He further warned, “If decisions are not taken now as a way of setting precedents, I fear that many laws have been or may be tampered with in the future, as it has the propensity to besmear and damage the image and integrity of the Honorable House of Representatives.”
In his letter, Rep. Gahr claimed that illegal alterations were made to the 2024 National Budget Law and called on his colleagues to recall it. He cited a specific example where the Legislative Budget Office (LBO) was to be replaced by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as per a motion by Rep. James Kolleh (District #2, Bong County).
Rep. Kolleh’s motion called for the responsibilities of the LBO to be transferred to the PAC, with all references to the LBO in the budget law automatically replaced with the PAC. The LBO, created through an act in September 2010 and operational since May 2011, serves as the Legislature’s nonpartisan technical arm, providing objective budget analyses and monitoring government ministries and agencies.
However, despite the lawmakers’ expectation that all amendments would be incorporated before the budget was printed into handbill, the changes were omitted.
Following a debate on the floor, the plenary agreed to a motion from Rep. Ivar K. Jones (District #2, Margibi County) to forward the communication to the House Leadership and summon the Ministry of Finance with a copy of the budget within one week.
