By Mark N. Mengonfia –mmenginfia@gmail.com
Three months into the new fiscal year, members of the House of Representatives have finally passed the 2019/2020 National Budget, reflecting reduction in the salaries and benefits of Lawmaker and the Judiciary.
Fifty members of that body agreed on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 to pass the 2019/2020 National Budget in the tone of 526 million US dollars, equivalent to well over one hundred billion Liberian dollars.
According to the House Finance Committee, Liberian lawmakers salaries will now come down to below US$6,000.00 a month.
The Executive branch of the Liberian government had earlier presented US$ 532 million for scrutiny. But upon receiving the instrument, the House of Rep. instructed Ways, Means, Finance & Development Planning and Public Accounts and Expenditure to ensure that the national instrument is properly pass.
The Committee as presented to them, Tax revenue accounted for 77.9 million, non-tax accounting for 87.2 million while external resources and contingents revenue respectively accounted 60.8 million and 7.0 million.
After the scrutinizing of the budget, the amount was reduced, thus realizing additionally 10 .4 million identified.
They said that 7 million contingency was dropped knowing that they realized that the 7 million would have been unrealized.
The Thomas Fallah-led Committee said that as part of making the budget realistic, they reduced lawmakers gasoline by 50% cut. Rep. Fallah comes from Montserrado County District #5.
Rep. Jeremiah Koung, the Co-chair of the Committee who represents Nimba County, gave reasons to plenary that led to their colleagues agreeing for the passage of the Budget.
He said that the judiciary will also have a 16% reduction in their budget ad well accommodate some 2000 persons in who were being paid by donors.
According to him, the budget considers 1,200 health workers who were terminated from the FARA grant program and other local government staff that were not on payroll.
“In order to address these budgetary gaps in the Draft National Budget and to enhance its realistic features, the joint committee employed all budgetary treatment to accommodate these employees in the national Budget,” the Co-chair of the House Finance Committee said.
Rep. Koung further said that “the budget debate was characterized by huge reduction in ministries and agencies budget as a result of plenary mandate of National program for salary harmonization and standardization.”
The passage of the budget by the House of Representatives, after nearly 4 months of delay, is expected to reach the Liberian senate for their concurrence and onward signing into law by President George M. Weah.
As means of ensuring that the Judiciary and other ministries and institutions do not raise contention, members of the House also on Wednesday also passed what is known as the National Remuneration Standardization Act of 2019, which speaks to the issues of reduction in ministries and government officials’ salaries and benefits.
Lawmakers are closing their second extended session based on a request from the President to ensure that some national Legislative instruments are passed.