Over delay of Budget Submission, Rep. Briggs Wants House to Summon Finance Minister
By: Jeremiah Sackie Cooper
Gmail: jeremiahcooper105@gmail.com
Capitol Hill: Bong County District #6 Representative Moima Briggs Mensah is calling on the Plenary of the House of Representatives to summon the Finance Minister Boima Kamara to provide reasons for delay in the submission of the 2024 Drift National Budget.
According to Rep. Briggs, the delay in the submission of the FY budget is causing setbacks to the actualization of the President Joseph Boakai’s ARREST (Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Tourism) program.
“President Boakai’s vision, “ARREST” (Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, Tourism), is defined as the development path set for the development of our country and as such the earlier implantation depends on the submission of this year’s 2024 fiscal budget”, she added.
Rep. Briggs who is the Chair of the House’s committee on Gender Equity, Child’s Right, Social Protection & Welfare at the sametime blamed the delay on the Ministry of Finance and rally Plenary’s intervention to cite the Minister of Finance to give reasons for the delay.
“Today marks 14days delay in the submission of the National Fiscal Budget and as such we as the people’s deputies must ascertain reasons for such delay without any formal communication to plenary stating reasons for delay”.
It can be recalled, in December 2023, the outgoing 54th Legislature failed to act on the proposed national draft budget in the tone of US$625,5700.00 submitted to former President George Weah Administration.
However, the House of Representative through a communication filed by Margibi County District #3 Representative Ellen Attoh-Wreh unanimously voted to send back the 2024 Nation Fiscal Budget to the Executive for proper adjustment and realignment in order to suit the President 100 days deliverables and ARREST platform.
The Budget was expected to return to the Legislature on Thursday, February 15, 2024 for approval but Executive has failed to resend the proposed financial envelope.
