Welcomes Proposed Financial And Credential Audits Of The Judiciary
PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monrovia– Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media, a very warm welcome to our office. We cherish our partnership and shared commitment to advancing democratic values and principles in Liberia, especially those related to anti-corruption, rule of law, and inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development.
Although the gaps in performance remain significant, we applaud the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, General Auditing Commission, Financial Intelligence Agency and other public integrity institutions for working under largely difficult circumstances to achieve key results.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, as you may be aware, the General Auditing Commission (GAC) is Liberia’s supreme audit institution, required to audit all public resources, including those received and managed by private institutions. Recently, the Commission published findings of its audit of the Government of Liberia Consolidated Funds Account Financial Statement for the period January 1, to December 31, 2024. According to section 4 of the amended public financial management act of 2019, the consolidated fund account is where all government revenues from taxes, fees, fines, and other sources are deposited and disbursed, based on budgetary appropriations.
Amongst many others, the audit revealed several inadequacies in systems for revenue collection, disbursement without supporting documents, and the inability to disburse funds as allotted in the national budget to institutions and sectors providing critical public services, such as health and education.
Key specific findings of the report include:
- That the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) did not expand its revenue reporting software (ASYCUDA and LITAS) to rural collectorates, which would ensure greater transparency of tax system and reduce the likelihood of corruption.
- That there is a gap in efficient revenue generation, which is compounded by the lack of adequate personnel deployed by LRA at rural tax collection centers, a finding validated during one of our engagements with stakeholders in Gbarnga, Bong County.
- That over US$2.8 million was disbursed by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) exceeding what was approved through the national budget. We see this revelation by the audit as very concerning especially so that this administration has been