The House of Representatives’ leadership has been mandated to investigate Finance Minister, Boima Kamara for allegedly altering the 2024 National Budget Law.
The decision was reached yesterday, June 6, 2024, following a communication from Margibi County District 5 Representative, Clarence Gar, in which he accused Minister Kamara of unilaterally altering the document.
In his communication to plenary, Rep. Gar specifically pointed to the replacement of the Legislative Budget Office (LBO) with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC); an amendment he claimed was not part of the originally agreed-upon provisions.
Pleading with his colleagues to recall and review the document, Gar asserted, “At the end of the 2024 National Budget deliberations, a motion was made by Rep. James Kolleh of Bong County District 2, stating that wherever ‘LBO’ is written in the 2024 National Budget Law, it should be automatically replaced with ‘PAC’ and this motion was voted on and passed into law.”
Following a heated deliberation on the matter, plenary then accepted a motion from Rep. Ivar Jones, agreeing to forward the communication to the House’s Leadership for further action and make report within weeks.
Also, the House’s Leadership is tasked with summoning the Minister of Finance and Development Planning to present a copy of the budget and clarify the alleged modifications raised by their colleague.
Meanwhile, the mandate to probe Minister Kamara further underscores the House’s commitment to ensuring robust oversight and maintaining the integrity of the legislative process and ensuring accountability in the management of public funds.
This investigation, once completed will be crucial in determining whether the budget law was tampered with and, if so, who is responsible for the unauthorized changes and what punishment will said individual faced.
Also, the replacement of the LBO with the PAC, as highlighted by Rep. Gar, is a significant alteration as centers on the integrity of the legislative process and the importance of ensuring that all amendments to the budget are transparent and legally binding.
The LBO traditionally plays a critical role in analyzing budget proposals and providing non-partisan information to assist the legislature in making informed decisions while the PAC typically focuses on scrutinizing public expenditures and ensuring financial accountability.
While both bodies are essential to fiscal oversight, their functions are distinct, and any changes to their roles must be made transparently and through proper legislative procedures.
The House’s decision to investigate these claim further reflects a broader concern about the potential for corruption and mismanagement in the handling of national finance, which is fundamental to good governance and public trust.
As the Ministry of Finance prepares to respond to the House’s summons, all eyes will be on the upcoming proceedings. This investigation has the potential to uncover significant issues within the budget process and could lead to important reforms aimed at strengthening fiscal oversight and preventing future tampering.
The outcome of this probe will be closely watched by both the public and stakeholders, as it will set a precedent for how similar allegations are handled in the future as the alteration, if true, would constitute a serious breach of legislative protocol and could undermine public trust in the government’s fiscal management.
