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President Boakai asks for Legislative Approval to Spend USD $41.3 million in February amid the 2024 Budget Passing Delay.

Monrovia, Liberia – To prevent a government shutdown, President Joseph Boakia has asked the 55th Legislature to authorize him to spend $41,300,000 for the month of February.

President Boakai stated in a communication that it is wise for the Legislature to give him permission to increase the US$41.3 million in order to prevent the government from shutting down while the Executive is ready to submit the budget.

The President declared: “The government must continue to operate in order to prevent a shutdown, given that the draft budget for the fiscal year 2024 was returned and is currently being finalized for resubmission. Considering the aforementioned, we are requesting permission to spend US$41,300,000.00, as shown in the attached complete budget. This sum will pay for the government’s operations in February 2024. “

The request from President Boakai is made at a time when the legislative body has not yet received a new budget proposal for 2024 that may be signed into law. The House decided last month to return the Weah-Taylor administration’s proposed budget to the executive branch for revision and reorganization.

Representative Ellen Attoh Wreh of Margibi County District #3 sent a statement requesting that the 2024 fiscal budget be returned to the administration for realignment, and that request was the basis for the decision. During the fifth day of the first quarter of the first session of the 55th National Legislature, the plenary came to this decision.

The House of Representatives received the nation’s draft national budget, which totaled US$625.57 million for the fiscal year 2024, from the Ministry of Finance towards the end of last year.

During the filing process on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, Tanneh Geraldine Brunson, the Deputy Finance Minister for Budget and Development Planning, gave specifics. She said that 99.6% of the budget, or US$623.14 million, is anticipated to come from local sources, while the remaining 0.39%, or US$2.43 million, is anticipated to come from outside sources.

Deputy Minister Brunson emphasized that a total of US$625.57 million in expenditures are planned for FY 2024, of which US$594.54 million is intended for recurrent expenses and US$31.03 million is for public sector investment projects.

She clarified that the first requests for available resources are concentrated on categories of mandatory expenditures, such as grants, debt service (both domestic and external), employee compensation, and goods and services for the health and education sectors.

The Public Financial Management Act’s Section 17.1 was followed throughout the submission process, which was open from January 1, 2024, until December 31, 2024. Deputy Minister Brunson conceded that steps to align the budget with policy changes might be implemented by the incoming administration.

The Legislature has not yet received the draft budget. Although the President did not state it clearly in his message, it seems that he is referring to a provision in the Financial Management Law that required the government to use one-twelfth of the previous budget in the event that the current fiscal year’s budget is not passed on time.

The Ways, Means, and Finance Committee of the House overwhelmingly agreed to examine the president’s plea and submit a report back to the body with suggestions.

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