The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) Executive Director Julius Sele has informed senators that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning slashed the US$11.8 million allocated in the 2024 National Budget for legislative projects for the 73 electoral districts to Liberian Dollars 4.7 million. Executive Director Sele made the statement Thursday, December 5, 2024, when he appeared before the on status of the money that was allocated for legislative projects across the Country.
Mr. Sele said the legislature allocated US$11.8 million for legislative projects but under the recast budget, US$5.3million was allocated for the same purpose which was confirmed after analysts went through the books and discovered that the money was actually reduced to US$4.7million instead. However, he said instead of disbursing the US$4.7 million, the Ministry of Finance issued a check of Liberian Dollars 4.7 million to LACE for district development projects.
He told the lawmakers that the entity will get back to them subsequently to know how the amount can be redistributed among both houses. He said when LACE got the signal that the budget was passed, it developed the project implementation framework document to work on the allocation for both houses.
He said Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and Pro-Tempore Nyonblee K. Lawrence signed along with then Former Finance Minister Boima Kamara, for the document to be used on grounds that upon signing the agreement, funds shall be transferred immediately to a designated account that will be proposed by LACE.
“LACE did everything with the hope that the Ministry of Finance will uphold the agreement that they signed. LACE wrote the ministry on April 8, 2024 requesting the fund so that legislatives engagement projects but got no positive response until middle part of July 2024 through the intervention of the Vice President Jeremiah Koung who called a meeting asking the ministry why money for district project fund was not given,” LAEC boss said.
According to him, the Finance Ministry said they could not release money despite the agreement they signed but LACE should conduct nationwide consultation and assessment of the proposed projects and do a procurement process along with bidding requirements. He said LACE went throughout the 73 electoral districts and toured all 365 proposed project sites and did a report stating contractors that applied. This was around the end of August 2024. The LACE Executive Director said they informed the Ministry of Finance about the outcome of the process and the need to transfer the fund for immediate action to begin on legislative projects but got no positive feedback.
By Tonita N. Copson
