Monrovia, Liberia – Former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah has used his first day on the witness stand to emphasize the legal authority and discretionary powers of Liberia’s Finance Minister under the Public Financial Management Law and the national budget process.
In his testimony before the court on Monday, Tweah referred to the Minister of Finance as the Republic of Liberia’s fiscal agent, in charge of overseeing the national budget and associated spending as well as administering the government’s financial and fiscal affairs.
He informed the court that the Finance Minister still has control over how and when money is disbursed to ministries and agencies following the Legislature’s approval of the national budget. He claims that depending on the resources at hand and the current situation, the minister has the authority to approve, postpone, reduce, or reject requests.
Tweah went on to say that the law permits the minister to make changes in situations of ambiguity or unforeseen requirements, but that the minister must then submit these choices to the Legislature. Since the hearings are still ongoing, it is anticipated that he will continue to testify.
Reported by: Mariama Jalloh
