The House of Representatives has approved an amended version of the National Budget for Fiscal Year 2023 in the tune of US$782,943,000.00.
A statement issued by the HOR Press Bureau says, plenary took the decision on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 following a report by a joint Legislative Conference Committee.
The recent setting up of the Conference Committee constituting the Honorable House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate followed the Senate’s proposed amendment to the House’s bill number one.
The latest action is in line with Rule 32 captioned Meeting of Conference Committee sub-sections 32.1, 32.2, 32.3 and 32.4 respectively.
“When a Bill passed by the House and sent to the Senate for concurrence is sent back to the House with Senate amendments, the House shall resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House which shall proceed to determine if the Senate amendment (s) are acceptable. If the Senate amendments are not acceptable to the House, then the Conference Committee of the House and Senate shall meet.
Selected Members of the House including some Members of the Committee that considered the Bill shall represent the House in the Conference Committee. The Conference Committee shall deliberate only on areas of disagreement between the House and the Senate.
The Conference Committee shall not insert in its report matter not committed to it by either the House or Senate, nor shall it be in order to strike out from the Bill matter agreed to by the House and Senate,” the HOR rule states.
The committee informed plenary that it found no other material difference in the proposal of the Senate to what was included in the working papers of the Joint Budget Committee of the Legislature, especially as it relates to priority concern for making the roads to the rest of counties in Liberia pliable for all seasons.
Henceforth, after all the consultations, the Conference Committee affirms that the new revenue number for FY 2023 is US$782,943,000.00 with the attached Act and working papers.
The Committee added that the budget-exchanged rate is L$156.00 to US$1.00.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives initially approved the budget at US$794,532,682.00 following a draft submission at US$777,953,000.00.
