All eyes will be fixed on Capitol Hill today to witness events unfolding in the wake of the presentation of the National Budget for FY 2025 by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to the Legislature.
This is coming amidst ongoing stalemate at the House of Representatives in an attempted plot to oust House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, something that has caused split within the body with two separate groups including the Majority Bloc of 43 lawmakers and Minority Bloc of 30 lawmakers.
Earlier on Monday, November 18, 2024, President Boakia presented the Fiscal Year 2025 Draft National Budget to the National Legislature in the amount of US US$851.8 Million (comprising Core Revenue of US$833 Million and Contingent Revenue of US$18.8 Million) to the Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives through the Chief Clerk.
According to a release from the Ministry of Information, the draft budget for 2025 represents 15.3% increase over the 2024 Recast Budget total appropriation of US$738.9 million and captures appropriations aimed at delivering on key priorities of the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) as well as addressing debt service and other obligations of the government.
President Boakai has urged the lawmakers to exert their best efforts towards ensuring timely consideration and approval of the budget to ensure effective and efficient execution of the budget beginning January 2025.
The submission of the draft national budget is in compliance with Section 17.1 of the 2019 Amendment and Restatement of the Public Financial Management Act 2009.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Honorable Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, will address the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism Regular Press Briefing on today, Tuesday, November 19, 2024, to provide detailed information on the draft budget to the public.
However, holding to the fact that the House is charged with the responsibility of handing all financial instruments before passage to the Senate, it is yet unclear what will become of the draft budget submitted to the Legislature, as the two blocs are claiming legitimacy in conducting business on behalf of the august body in two different sessions.
To make matters even worse, the release did not state exactly to whom the draft budget note was addressed and it is expected that both blocs will be discussing the instrument in their various sessions with the Majority Bloc having more edge as it meets the requirement for quorum. On the other hand, the Minority Bloc will also be expected to put the instrument on the flow but won’t be able to act upon it since it lacks quorum.
However, it is expected to continue using other legal mechanisms to compel the rest of the absent members to attend their session in the regular chambers of the House in order for the budget instrument to be discussed for further actions.
Meanwhile, inside sources have told this paper that the president will deal with the Majority Bloc in the cause of the draft budget, further worsening the House’s crisis as the Minority Bloc might likely challenge any decision taken over the instrument in a court of competent jurisdiction.
