By Bridgett Milton
The House of Representatives through a vote has accepted President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s request to authorize his government to use one-twelfth of the 2024 National Budget.
Representatives voted Tuesday, 20 February 2024 during regular.
The Chairman of the Joint Committee on Ways, Means and Finance and Development Planning and the Public Accounts and Expenditure Rep. Dixion Seboe said the House of Representatives instructed their committee to look into President Boakai’s request.
He said the purpose of President Boakai’s communication is to keep the operation of the government running pending the passage of the National Budget.
Rep. Seboe added that the joint committee was charged with reviewing the amount requested, ensuring that the amount reflects realistic funding for government operation within the time frame.
The Montserrado lawmaker stated that the Joint Committee after reviewing President Boakai’s request recommended that the report be passed at US $41,300,000.00 and sent to the Senate for concurrence. When passed by the Senate, the instrument will be sent to the Executive for action.
Earlier on 15 February 2024, President Boakai wrote the House of Representatives its authorization to spend the amount of US $41,300,000.00 to cover the government operations for the month of February.
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He said that given that the draft budget for the fiscal year 2024 was returned and is being finalized for resubmission, the operations of the government must continue to avoid a shutdown.
According to President Boakai, the authorization to spend the amount of US $41,300,000.00 covers the government operations for the month of February.
On 25 January 2024, the House of Representatives unanimously voted to return the National Budget to the Executive.
In a communication by Rep. Ellen Attoh–Wreh, she had observed that the budget would need to be aligned with the agenda of the current government.
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning submitted the Draft National Budget in December 2023 to the 54th Legislature in the tune of US $625.57 million for the fiscal year of 2024.
The budget was submitted during the rule of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led government.
