By Precious D. Freeman
The Executive Director of the Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL), Harold Aidoo, said that their findings have revealed that 16 out of 62 institutions comprising the six sectors did not provide reports of achievements under the Fiscal Year (FY2022) and planned objectives for FY2023.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Aidoo stated that the policy notes of six budget sectors, representing all 62 institutions under the Health, Education, Security and Rule of Law, Social Development Services, Transparency and Accountability, and Agriculture sectors have been reviewed and analyzed.
According to him, total aggregate budget estimates of all those institutions without achievements for FY2022 and planned objectives for FY2023 projected at US$156.7 million, represent 45.2 percent of the combined total of the six sectors’ budget of US$346.8 million.
He mentioned that placing US$156.7 million at the disposal of these institutions without past performance reports and planned objectives undermines accountability and transparency.
“This is clearly a violation of regulation D.4(4) of the Amendment and Restatement of the PFM Act of 2009 which states that spending agencies must submit their budget requests within the parameters, timeframe and format set forth in the budget call circular, additionally considering the concept of value for money and affordability as one of the principles of the PFM law. These allocations pose huge risks to prudent fiscal management and undermines government’s efforts in fiscal transparency and accountability,” he said.
Mentioning some of the institutions which did not report on achievements under FY2022 and planned objectives for FY2023 includes; Health Sector, Education Sector, Security and Rule of Law, Social Development Services Sector, Transparency and Accountability and Agriculture Sector.
“Under Health Sector are Ministry of Health, Phebe Hospital and School of Nursing, Liberia Board for Nursing and Midwifery, Liberia Pharmacy Board, National Aids Commission, Jackson F. Doe Memorial Hospital, National Public Health Institute of Liberia,” IWL stated.
“Education Sector includes; Ministry of Education, University of Liberia, William V.S. Tubman University, and Grand Bassa University while Security and Rule of Law includes; Independent National Human Rights Commission, Social Development Services Sector; Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment; Transparency and Accountability; General Auditing Commission, Financial Intelligence Unit. Agriculture Sector includes; Ministry of Agriculture,” IWL boss asserted.
Mr. Aidoo maintained that in view of the foregoing for the next fiscal year budget (FY2024), they would like to recommend to the Standing Committee on Appropriate at both Houses of the National Legislature and the Executive Branch of Government through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning that the following actions be taken.
He added that some of the actions that need to be taken include; compelling all non-compliant institutions in respect of the omission of budget policy notes in the Draft National Budget FY2023 to provide same ahead of or during their respective budget hearings and mandate the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to incorporate their budget policy notes in the approved national budget which will be published.
“Enshrined legislative provisions (prohibitions and sanctions) in the FY2023 Budget Law relating to the omission of complete budget policy notes for each spending entity of the government during the preparation and submission of subsequent Draft National Budgets to the Legislature, beginning FY2024,” he added.
He stated further that while they recognize the effort and commitment of the government in the promotion of transparency and accountability, they would like to recommend that the response of the government to the recommendations from citizens at the Pre-Budget Consultations be included in the Budget preface, in addition to the Budget Fact Sheet.