By Kruah Thompson
The Director of the Donor Financed Project at the Project Financial Management Unit, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, has denied allegations that Wednesday’s fire outbreak which ravaged the third floor of the Ministry of Finance was staged.
The fire incident, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, October 25, sent shockwaves across Liberia, with numerous citizens taking to social media platforms, accusing PFM officials of intentionally orchestrating the fire.
However, after diligent efforts by firefighting personnel to bring the situation under control, Director Papie Daniels, spoke to reporters, urging the public to be patient and allow investigators to carry out their work.
Director Daniels clarified that, fortunately, the fire only affected the administrative wing of the ministry. He assures that all classified financial documents remain secure.
According to him, most of the records that suffered harm were administrative in nature and not financial, potentially alleviating concerns about financial data loss.
Following the incident, the Ministry of Finance released an official statement, confirming the fire incident on the morning of Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
The ministry expressed gratitude to the National Fire Service and its dedicated staff for gallantry displayed in extinguishing the fire, thereby safeguarding a crucial national asset.
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The statement further assured the public that the Central Government’s financial records remained intact, unaffected by the fire outbreak.
It was highlighted that the Liberia National Fire Service has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the fire, with a commitment to releasing findings to the public, along with the extent of damages to the third-floor section.
While the investigation is ongoing, the Ministry of Finance has announced resumption of regular operations, assuring its staff, the business community, taxpayers, and the general public that essential services will continue without disruption.
