Monrovia, Liberia – The Liberian Senate Plenary cited Augustine Kpehe Ngafuah, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, as the reason why the agreed national budget has not yet been printed and sent to the Legislature.
On Thursday, February 20, 2024, during its tenth day of session, the Senate decided to cite the Minister after Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County, the chairperson of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, voiced concerns. This decision was based on advice from Senator Prince K. Moye, the chairman of the Senate’s Ways, Means, Finance, and Budget Committee.
Minister Ngafuah is scheduled to appear before the Senate’s Committee of the Senate at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday of next week, according to the Senate order. On December 24, 2024, the Liberian Senate adopted the national budget, which was agreed upon with the House of Representatives and totaled US$880 million.
The Senate has not yet received a printed copy of the budget since it was passed and approved, which prevents it from fulfilling its oversight duties.
According to an insider at MFDP, the Ministry stated that the new budget system’s glitches and unexpected website issues, the salary increment system, and the delay in updating the budget line by ministries and agencies were the main causes of the delay. According to reports, government workers began receiving salaries on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
