By Ethel A Tweh
The Plenary of the Liberian Senate has concurred with the House Representatives on the passage of the FY2022 National Budget. The budget approved at US$786.5 million runs from January 1 to December 31, 2022.
The concurrence Tuesday, 8 February 2022 of the House of Representatives’ engrossed Bill number 43, entitled an Act to Approve the National Budget for the Fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2022, provides for the expenditure of the Government of Liberia.
According to the Senate Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget chaired by Bomi County Senator Morris G. Saytumah, Security, Rule of Law, Health, Education and Public Administration are key priorities in this year’s budget.
In December 2021, the House of Representatives passed into law the National Budget for Fiscal Year 2022 and forwarded same to the Liberian Senate for concurrence.
In this light, the Senate Committee along with its entire leadership has been working on the budget for concurrence.
The Committee notes that in the budget, social development funds, including land rental fees shall be transferred directly to the affected counties, a revenue sharing of 70-30% between the central government and counties, cities, township, borough for all excess budgetary revenue collection from real property taxes.
Meanwhile, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon has called for halt to payment of domestic debt until a proper investigation is launched into the allotment process, saying “We can’t keep appropriating money for domestic debt and we don’t [know] who the money [is] going to.”
Therefore, the Senate has halted payment of Liberia’s gross domestic debt until proper investigation. Editing by Jonathan Browne
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