Senate agreed with House of Representatives to approve President Boakai proposal for US$41.3 million

Monrovia, Liberia – President Joseph Boakai’s US$41.3 million budget request for the government’s operations in February was approved by the Liberian Senate plenary in agreement with the House of Representatives, with two senators abstaining and four senators voting against.

This decision was made subsequent to the perusal of a correspondence from the House of Representatives requesting the Senate’s approval for the budget. During Thursday’s plenary session, Senator Nathaniel Mcgill of Margibi County cast a vote against accepting the instrument, citing a lack of details regarding the US$5.7 million intended for domestic debts.

Senators Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County and Gbleh-bo Brown of Maryland County voted “NO” to approve the budget until a list of the domestic debts is provided and reviewed, while Senator Numene Bartekwa of Grand Kru County voted against the instrument in agreement with the points made by his colleagues.

Simeon Taylor of Grand Cape Mount County and Albert Chie of Grand Kru County both refrained from voting in favor of or against the concurrence at the same moment.

As a result, the Senate should join with the House of Representatives in endorsing the report, according to Senator Prince Moye of Bong County, the chair of the Senate Committee on Ways, Means, Finance, and Budget. A motion to concur with the House of Representatives was made by Grand Bassa County Senator Gbehzohngar Findley, and the vote to concur was cast by 20 senators who were seated properly.