By Grace Q. Bryant
Speaker J. Fonati Koffa has harshly criticized the Ministry of Finance for withholding benefits from members of the House of Representatives, despite the strong budget performance reported by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
Speaking passionately during a heated session, like the Chief Justice’s threats, Koffa too echoed that the House might be forced to “shut down” if the situation is not resolved promptly.
The confrontation arose when the Acting Minister of Finance and Development Planning and the LRA Commissioner General Dorbor Jallah appeared before the House following a communication requesting an update on the budget performance and the status of the government’s consolidated accounts.
“We should not be positioned to be on the street or to be crediting from money changers to provide our members gas. We should not be in a position where the instruments that lawmakers use to come to work every day cannot be provided for them because they all say no money at Finance,” he continued.
Koffa comparing the situation of the House with that of the Senate, claimed that the latter is receiving its benefits adding, “When the Commissioner General is reporting that he’s over-performing, we cannot be in the position where you fund the Senate retreat. Yet we have postponed our retreat and we’re running behind NGOs to help the House of Representatives have their retreat.”
The Speaker highlighted the difficulties faced by committee members as they seek answers from the Ministry of Finance.
“The Chairman and the Co-Chair of Ways Means and Finance spend days in your office and they can’t even get a complete and correct answer as to when you will host this event,” Koffa complained.
Koffa’s remarks came as a response to Jallah’s report that revenue collections have exceeded expectations.
This contradiction has fueled frustration among lawmakers who feel neglected by the Executive Branch, despite the availability of funds.
“The attitude of the Ministry of Finance towards this House is leading us to a dangerous conclusion; one which we must not make in the interest of coordination of the branches of government,” Koffa stated.
He emphasized the need for better coordination and transparency between branches of government.
Koffa also stressed the readiness of the House to make sacrifices if necessary but insisted that equity in the distribution of resources is paramount.
“The Commissioner General comes and says revenue is not performing, we will be the first to say, okay, we understand. But for him to come here today and say he’s over-performing and the Senate is well taken care of and the House of Representatives has almost only two months’ worth of benefits and cannot even get money for retreat, we’ve got to go beg NGOs, stationaries,” Koffa wondered.
Koffa’s warning of a potential shutdown of the House underscored the severity of the lawmakers’ frustration.
