By Bill W. Cooper
The political leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), Simeon Freeman, has criticized President Joseph Boakai’s first fiscal year budget, describing the financial instrument as ‘scary and unrealistic’, claiming Boakai has only rescued himself and not the ordinary Liberians.
He also expressed his concerns about the budget, which he believes does not adequately address the needs of the Liberian people, noting that majority of the money budgeted are on recurrent expenditures.
Freeman pointed out that the budget, which was recently presented to the Legislature fails to prioritize key areas such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
Recently, President Boakai, since assuming office on January 22, 2024, finally submitted his first FY budget through Finance Minister, Boima Kamara, in the tune of US$692.41m, to Deputy Speaker, Thomas Fallah, for legislative consideration.
The MPC political leader said, with the FY-2024 Draft National Budget in the tune of US$692.41m, 92.5 percent is going back to government officials for payment and servicing of debt, something he described as an affront to the many Liberians who voted for the UP.
The businessman turned politician narrated that the budget falls flat of reflecting the Rescue Mission for the ordinary people, disclosing that the Boakai’s administration has the largest bureaucracy with expended positions in government, which is causing recurrent expenditures to increase.
He indicated that instead of appointing more officials, President Boakai should direct his government’s focus towards electricity availability by paying LEC debt to ensure that current remains stable.
According to him, for the last two months, the only individual who has been rescued by the Unity Party (UP) “Rescue Mission” is President Boakai himself, and thereby raised concerns about the government’s ability to effectively implement the budget to benefit Liberians.
Given its track record of corruption and mismanagement by previous administrations, Freeman emphasized, “The budget presented by President Boakai is a clear indication that his administration is out of touch with the realities facing the Liberian people.”
“It is a scary and unrealistic budget that fails to address the urgent needs of our country, and if the government is to succeed, even though it is impossible based on early signs of missteps, the President needs to wake-up from his sleep and work.
He needs to bring on board well-educated and experienced individuals that will craft a serious policy and a clear developmental road map, showing ways of government commitment and readiness to solve the country’s many challenges and put food on Liberians’ table.
Freeman then called on the government to revise the budget to ensure that it reflects the priorities of the Liberian people, urging the Legislature to thoroughly scrutinize the budget and make necessary amendments to ensure that it is in the best interest of the country.
Meanwhile, the MPC leader’s criticism of President Boakai’s budget comes at a time the country is facing numerous challenges, including a struggling economy, high unemployment rates, and widespread poverty left behind by the administration of former President George Weah.
However, thousands of struggling Liberians are now looking to the government to provide solutions to these pressing issues, but Freeman believes that the budget falls short of meeting these expectations.
