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President George M. Weah has submitted a US$10.5m supplementary budget to the House of Representatives for timely consideration.
In a letter accompanying the draft supplementary budget, President Weah told Speaker Bhofal Chambers and members of the House of Representative that the budget is meant to “Enable the government deliver on programs that are in critical needs for funds.”
According to the President, his government has “realized a windfall amid mounting expenditure demands for service deliverables beyond allocations in the approved budget of the Fiscal Year 2020/2021.”
The FY 2020/2021 budget was approved in the tone of US$570.1 million. If the supplementary budget is approved, the total budget for FY 2020/2021 will be US$580.6 million.
The President indicated that the sources of the supplementary budget include US$9 million from ArcelorMittal and a grant of US$1.5 million from the Kingdom of Morocco.
Furthered in his communication, the President outlined his expenditures as followed: RIA route pavement $900,000; Public school chair project $700,000; Transformer project $600,000; Hospital beds $500,000; Legislative goods and services $1.4m; domestic travels $400,000; vehicle repairs and maintenance $300,000; and constituency travels $900,000.
Others are vehicle fuel and lubricant $400,000; generator fuel $600,000; printing, binding and publication $250,000; Telecommunication, internet and ICT supplies, $250,000; RIA residential lounge $250,000; public schools renovation $250,000; GOL obligation to the African Union $1,129,695; Foreign Missions Operations $370,305 and subsidy compensation related $600,000.
Meanwhile, the President’s communication and the draft supplementary budget were sent to the Joint Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning and Public Account and Expenditure. The committee is expected to scrutinize and report within two weeks.
The House’s decision follows a motion from Montserrado County District#13 Representive Edward Flomo.