Mrs. Sirleaf Calls for Public Hearing On Budget
The Inquirer
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
The need for the Liberian populace to demand for an open hearing on the
US$80.million dollars budget presently before the National Transnational
Legislative Assembly (NTLA) has been stressed.
Speaking yesterday at the Monrovia City Hall during the kick-off of a series
of public interactive forum (PIF) organized by the Governance Reform Commission
(GRC), Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf admonished Liberians to press forward
for an open hearing on the national budget for the sake of transparency
and accountability.
“We want to see transparency and accountability in the NTGL’s
operation, we want the people to demand for an open hearing on the budget.
In the budget, there is US$1million for Agriculture, the mainstream of life,
while US$2.5 million is there for Special Security Services. The budget
is outside!
“There is US$10 million in the budget for government’s Domestic
Debts, we want to know if these debts are genuine. The government entered
into a contract with a Chinese firm for the sale of a stockpile of iron
ore at the port of Buchanan, we want to see the contract published. We want
to know if the money from the sale of the iron ore is reflected in the budget.
What the essence of buying a lot of cars from one man, that you do not have
roads for. We should be putting people to work by using the money to first
repair our roads. Government’s priority is upside down!”
Mrs. Sirleaf’s assertion that the lack of public knowledge on government
operation, mainly financial, is the bedrock of corruption in society was
widely applauded by the audience mainly IDPs, students, market women, teachers,
lawyers and other professionals who participated in the deliberation.
“We are calling on you to join this commission in demanding that government
be more transparent and accountable. The commission is going to draw up
a code of conduct for people who are in the employ of government, we are
working on plans for the decentralization of government’s activities.
Corruption is rampant and we must fight to eliminate it in our society ”,
Madam Sirleaf stressed.
Yesterday’s deliberation, which was on “Corruption”, was
characterized by frank exchange of views between the Commissioners of the
Governance Reform Commission and the public with the latter mandating the
commission to draw up punitive measures for individuals who may be found
guilty of corruption in public offices.
Various speakers at the Public Interactive Forum said, among other things,
that corruption has become a disease that is eating every fabric of the
Liberian society, and as such, it should be eradicated in the society. Some
suggested that if corruption is to be abolished in society, the issues of
civil servants’ salary, appointment of unqualified individuals in
government, the culture of impunity and other vices that are permeating
in government circles must be addressed adequately and the Good Governance
Reform Commission put in place policy that will protect public funds from
going into private accounts.
The objectives of the Public Interactive Forum is to enhance the involvement
of the people of Liberia in determining the content, direction and focus
of the process and its outcome with the view of building the necessary national
constituency behind reform measures. The forum is to be conducted in all
parts of the 15 sub- political divisions of the country, according to the
Governance Reform Commission.
