LIPA Wants More Money

The Liberia Institute of Public Administration or LIPA is appealing to the Legislature for the allotment of US$30m in the next national budget to enable the agency construct its administrative complex.

According to the LIPA Deputy Director General for Research, Consultancy, Information and Library Services, Charles G. Jarrett, LIPA has more than 25-acres of land to construct the complex, but could not do so due to the lack of funds.

Jarrett made the appeal when he served as proxy for LIPA’s Director-General Oblayon Nyemah at a program marking the official closing ceremony of the Public Sector Budgeting and Financial Management Training, held at the headquarters of LIPA.

Mr. Jarrett further indicated that the complex will accommodate more students and have them stationed there until their training was over. During the cceremony, over 30 members of the Legislative Budget Office were certificated following six weeks of intensive training in budgeting.

He also noted that LIPA was a primary institute of government charged with the responsibility to develop viable and productive organizational capabilities and improve managerial skills as well as conduct research and consultancy and perform studies of systems and procedures in the private and public sectors.

Jarrett disclosed that LIPA was created by an Act of the Legislature on May 13, 1969 and became fully functional in 1972, but regretted that since then, the entity has not had its own building.

He reassured the public of LIPA’s full commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the capacities of the private and public sectors are improved. The Director General of the Liberia Institute of Public Administration or LIPA, Oblayon B. Nyemah, Sr. had said the Institution has suffered serious budgetary constraints which is affecting its professional and competency- based capacity development across every level of the Public Sector. The LIPA Director General said the attainment of vision 2030 will only be realized when the Government invest more in the Human Resource of its citizens.

The LIPA boss spokes last Tuesday, July 7, 2015 when he appeared before the Joint Budget committee of the Legislature for the 2015/2016 Budget Hearing. He requested from the Government additional budgetary support for the full running of the Institution, indicating to members of the Joint Budget committee that the amount of US$90.000.00 was needed to enable the institution pay one year of the three-year arrears on office Building Rental and Lease.

Director General Nyemah, in addition to the $90.000.00, also requested from the Government the amount of US $54.000.00 for purchase of three vehicles for use in running the affairs of the Institute Core Functional areas which include Administration, Training and Research and Consultancy.

The LIPA Director General lauded the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, through its Budget Department, for supporting the Liberia Institute of Public Administration key budget lines areas, including Conferences, Symposia, Consultancy, as well as Transportation equipment, among others in the 2015/2016 Fiscal Budget.

By Ben P. Wesee-Edited by George Barpeen