By Bill W. Cooper
President Joseph Boakai has written the Liberian Senate requesting additional time to submit the draft national budget for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 amidst ongoing power and greed struggles at the House of Representatives.
The President, in his communication to that august body set November 8, 2024, instead of the October 31, 2024, as the new date for the submission of the budget through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
However, the surprising request from the President comes amidst the ongoing escalating political turmoil at the House of Representatives, where 43 Representatives are exerting all efforts to remove Fonati Koffa as Speaker.
Speaker Koffa, a ranking member of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), is facing mounting pressure from a faction of lawmakers including 10 of his party representatives who are seeking his removal on grounds of alleged corruption, misconduct, conflict of interests and abuse of power, among others.
Also, it has been reported that the President’s decision to delay the submission of the budget is at a result of the ongoing leadership battle at the House of Representatives, which has stall normal working activities to that part of the legislature.
But the President, in his communication to the Senate, expressed his commitment to upholding the principles of good governance and transparency in the budgetary process.
He emphasized the need for a budget that reflects the priorities and aspirations of the Liberian people, and underscored the importance of ensuring fiscal responsibility and accountability in the management of public funds.
According to him, the delay in the submission of the budget is intended to also enable the Executive Branch conclude consultations with various stakeholders including donors and international partners, and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), amongst others.
President Boakai also cited the need for more time to finalize the budget proposal that will address the government’s priorities including infrastructure and the economy in line with Public Financial Management (PFM) law.
PFM law is concerned with the financial management of public sector entities – sovereign governments, sub-national levels of government and agencies of government which includes the raising of financial resources through taxation, borrowing among others.
Following the reading of the communication, the instrument was then forwarded to the Senate’s committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning.
Meanwhile, the timing of President Boakai’s request to the Liberian Senate has raised serious concerns among Liberians including political pundits, who are all attributing his decision to the ongoing political turmoil within the House of Representatives.
While supporters of the government are describing the President’s decision as a prudent step that allows for more careful consideration of the budgetary priorities in the country, critics, however, view the delay as a stalling tactic aimed at being caught in the middle of the crisis as to who to do business with.
