Following the passage of the 2025 National Budget by the House of Representatives, the Liberian Senate wasted no time in concurring with the House in passing the instrument at US$800.8M.
The US$800.80M represents an increment of a little over US$28M, as the initial (draft) budget submitted by the Executive Branch of government through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) totaled US$851.8M.
That figure also represented a 15.3% increment in the total appropriation of the US$738.9M in the 2024 Recast Budget. The Budget as prepared under the stewardship of MFDP Minister Augustine Kphe Ngafuan following the submission of all spending and income generating entities, was meant to address allocations key priorities of the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), debt servicing, and other governmental obligations.
Making a presentation in plenary prior to the concurrence, the Chairperson of the Senate’s Ways, Means Finance and Development Planning Committee, Senator Prince Moye indicated that the decision to pass the budget without much delays is based on the fact that both Committees (House and Senate) worked together in the final stages of the budget process.
He asserted that had already undergone thorough debate and modification, with an additional US$28M plus added in the final version.
The Committee Chair disclosed that reallocations in public administration and municipal allocations would be limited to US$6 million to avoid past controversies concerning budget alterations without legislative approval.
He asserted that the budget was initially set to be passed at a little over US$878M, but the addition of the US$1.8M for the immediate kick off of the restoration of the burnt Capitol Building summed the total to US$800.80M.
Following the presentation ny Chairperson Moye and subsequent debate on the floor of the Senate’s plenary in its third day sitting of the Special Session of the of the first session of the 55th Legislature, a motion was made by Grand Kru County Senator Numene T.H. Bartekwa for the instrument to be passed into law.
The motion then received a unanimous vote of all 19 Senators present in session on the late evening hours of Friday, December 20, 2024.
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