Liberia: Several Spending Entities Chided for Failure to Attend Budget Hearing

 

 

The Joint Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget of the House of Representatives and Senate, yesterday described as “disrespectful and unacceptable” the refusal of the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Gender Children and Social Protection, as well as the Liberia Business Registry, to honor the public hearing on the draft National Budget.

The draft 2023 National Budget is currently undergoing intensive scrutiny by the Joint Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning.

The three spending entities were yesterday expected to appear before the joint committee to defend their respective expenditure components in the draft budget; but based on the refusal of the three entities to appear, the committee was left with no other alternative but to prematurely adjourn the sitting. 

The Presiding Officer, Representative Francis Dopoh of River Gee County told journalists that the three government institutions that failed to appear will feel the full weight of the Law, terming the action of those institutions as “disrespectful” to the Joint Committee.

Representative Dopoh warned that such action is unacceptable and that the Joint Committee will seriously take the necessary actions, though he felt short on time to indicate what those specific actions would be.