“Legally funded”Senate Pro-Tempore Responds to Allegation on Senate off Budget Spending in Buchanan
Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence has sharply reacted to rumors of the senate misspending hundreds of dollars for its recently held retreat in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County.
Senate Protempore says, the US$ 47,000.00 (forty-seven thousand United states dollars) spent recently in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County was legal money funded from the Senate’s Committee budget line.
Recently, it has been reported that the Liberian Senate spent USD$700,000 on retreat held in Grand Bassa County. The news has sparked mixed reactions in public with activists calling for proper accountability of funds spent.
However, at the Thursday June 20, 2024 Sitting, the administrative head of the Senate, Karnga Lawrence dispelled rumors that the Liberian Senate has DSA budget line, and that stories about Senators getting DSA are false and misleading.
She cautioned the Public that the Liberian Senate operates by the constitution and the rules provide for one Spokesperson for the Senate and that the President Pro Tempore therefore all information about the Senate retreat in the Public that has been used to target Senators is unofficial.
Amongst many benefits from the Buchanan retreat is an agreement to have the General Auditing Commission (GAC) complete its report after one-month system review of the Senate’s financial management system which set the basis for the senate to move towards setting up the financial management system, and digitization comprising of the Senate’s website for an open Senate.
She Said: “At the end of the process, all information including publishing the Senate’s budget and financial will be on the website. The Senate is also working with the CSA on employee headcount to streamline and build capacity for efficiency in the Senate. These initiatives are laudable and we are grateful for the cooperation of the entire senate”
The Pro Tempore statement comes just a day after the Chairman of the Ways, Means Finance and budget Committeeof the Liberian Senate, Senator Prince K. Moye of Bong County guaranteed the Public that, the Senate under the leadership of President Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence will continue to tread on the path of transparency and accountability.
Addressing reporters during a Press Conference at the Capitol Building on Wednesday, 19 June 2024, Senator. Moye said, contrary to rumors about a US$700,000.00 allegedly used by the Senate in Buchanan, the actual budget for the retreat was US$50,000.00. (Fifty Thousand United States Dollars).
In Sen. Moye’s clarification, He said US$50,000.00 represents a recast budget, which was derived from previous line items (Constituency Visit and Committee Hearings), in order to facilitate all expenditures covering the retreat.
The Bong County Senator also clarified that out of the US$50,000.00 requested, US$47,000.00 was disbursed by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, of which US$42,840.00 was spent feeding, accommodation, StaffCompensation, and Security.
Meanwhile, the Senate has informed the public that it will on Tuesday, June 25th, deliberate on the proposal to the Senate rules that were done at the Buchanan retreat, and after the endorsement of those proposals, the Senate will have its new rules published for the working of the Senate and the Public.
