MONROVIA – The Liberian Senate on Tuesday adjourned for its annual break without acting on two major legislations – the Draft National Budget and the draft amended Mineral Development Agreement between the government and ArcelorMittal Liberia.
Recently, the Plenary of the House of Representatives through a majority vote passed the Mineral Development Agreement between Liberia and ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML).
The House’s decision followed a motion by Rep. Dixon Sebo (District #16, Montserrado County), which was triggered by a set of recommendations from its Joint Committee on Investment and Concession, ways, Means & Finance, Judiciary, Lands, Mines & energy and Environment, calling on for its passage.
The House of Representatives also forwarded for concurrence to the Liberian Senate, the 2022 Draft National Budget in the tone of US$786,587,340.00 – with almost US$1 million increment from the original.
The Liberian Senate has mandated the Committees on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget as well as Public Accounts & Audits to review the 2022 Draft Budget and report to the August Body upon their return in January 2022.
The decision by the Liberian Senate is intended to afford the relevant committees ample time in reviewing the Budget and collecting expenditure reports from various ministries and agencies of government in order to make adequate and informed actions before concurrence.
whilst on recess, the Senate Committees on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget as well as Public Accounts & Audits will remain engaged with sectorial ministries and agencies in order to properly scrutinize the FY2022 Budget, which has been passed by the House of Representatives.
The Senate has strongly reemphasized its mandate to the Joint Committee on Ways, Means, Finance & Budget and Public Accounts & Audits to work over the Christmas/New Year Break, as approval from the Liberian Senate on the 2022 Budget is to be granted before the President’s Annual Message on the fourth Woking of January 2022.
In line with the amended Public Financial Management Act, the new fiscal period will start from January 1 of each year and end on December 31 of the same year.
On the ArcelorMittal ratification, the Senate has set up a specialised committee chaired by Senator Saah Joseph of Montserrado County to hold engagements with affected communities and inputs from these engagement could be given consideration in the final agreement.
There have been split opinions over the ratification of the agreement by the Legislature. While some are backing the agreement, others called for AML to be compelled to live up to its corporate social responsibilities.
The Committee called for the county social development fund be increased from US$3million to US$5 million.
It also called for Yekepa be brought to pre-war status. ArcelorMittal had previously committed to the construction and or renovation of 1800 houses received in its current 2005 MDA. AML has renovated or constructed less than 300 houses of the total 1800 hous es.
That the National Housing Authority be authorized to draw up a housing unit plan to be used by AML for the construction of 1800 housing Units.