Senators Fail to Pass 2022 National Budget

President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Albert Tugbe Chie

The Liberian Senate on December 21 failed to concur with the House of Representatives in the passage of the 2022 National Budget. Instead, it has mandated the Committees on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget, as well as Public Accounts & Audits, to review it and report to plenary upon its return in January 2022.

Last week, the House of Representatives forwarded for concurrence to the Liberian Senate, the FY2022 Budget in the tone of US$786,587,340.00 for the Fiscal Period beginning January 1, 2022 and ending December 31, 2022, providing for the expenditure of the Government.

According to the Senate, the decision is intended to afford the relevant committees ample time to review the budget and collect expenditure reports from various Ministries and Agencies in order to take adequate and informed actions regarding concurrence. 

Whilst on the short recess, the Senate has decided that its Committees on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget as well as Public Accounts & Audits will remain engaged with sectoral ministries and agencies in order to properly scrutinize the FY2022 Budget, which has been passed by the House of Representatives. 

In their unanimous decision, the Senate reemphasized its mandate to the Joint Committee to work over the Christmas/New Year Break, as approval from the Liberian Senate if the FY2022 Budget is to be granted before the President’s Annual Message on the fourth Woking Monday of January 2022.

In line with the amended Public Financial Management Act, the new fiscal period will start from January 1 of each year and end on December 31 of the same year.