A Liberian integrity watch group, CENTAL, is asking for investigation into audit findings on off-budget spending in authorities.
By Lewis S. The
Monrovia, Liberia; September 12, 2025 – The Middle for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, or CENTAL, is urging the Liberia Anti-Corruption Fee (LACC) to research off-budget spending within the Normal Auditing Corruption audit findings in a well timed and thorough method.
“We subsequently urge the LACC to well timed and totally examine off-budget spending below the disbursement of well being, schooling, and different vital sectors which might be corruption-related.”
CENTAL Government Director Anderson D. Maimen informed a information convention late Wednesday night, September 10, at his group’s headquarters in Sinkor, Monrovia.
Maimen recalled how the Fee printed findings of its audit of the Authorities of Liberia Consolidated Funds Account Monetary Assertion for the interval January 1, to December 31, 2024.
He quotes Part 4 of the amended Public Monetary Administration Act of 2019, noting that the consolidated fund account is the place all authorities revenues from taxes, charges, fines, and different sources are deposited and disbursed, based mostly on budgetary appropriations.
Accordingly, he stated, amongst many others, the audit revealed a number of inadequacies in programs for income assortment, disbursement with out supporting paperwork, and the lack to disburse funds as allotted within the nationwide funds to establishments and sectors offering vital public providers, resembling well being and schooling.
Key particular findings of the report embody:
He noticed that the Liberia Income Authority (LRA) had not expanded its income reporting software program (ASYCUDA and LITAS) to rural collectorates, which might guarantee larger transparency within the tax system and cut back the probability of corruption.
There’s a hole in environment friendly income technology, which is compounded by the shortage of enough personnel deployed by LRA at rural tax assortment facilities, a discovering validated throughout certainly one of our engagements with stakeholders in Gbarnga, Bong County, he stated.
Maimen reported that over US$2.8 million was disbursed by the Ministry of Finance and Growth Planning (MFDP), exceeding what was accredited via the nationwide funds.
“We see this revelation by the audit as very regarding, particularly since this administration has been beforehand accused of disregard for the funds and the Public Monetary Administration (PFM) Legal guidelines by spending off-budget with zero approval from the nationwide legislature.”
He reveals that there’s an below disbursement of accredited appropriations within the nationwide funds within the tone of US$78,289,600, which affected a complete of 106 ministries and companies, and that 11 State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) assessed to have paid US$ 10,160,233.98 as earnings tax, however made a fee of US$5,669,672.88 far lower than what was required to be paid, thus resulting in substantial income loss.
The tough-talking CENTAL Boss says these observations depart one to wonder if the federal government’s want to extend useful resource mobilization is commensurate with commitments from its brokers.
CENTAL, he says, is deeply troubled by these audit findings, which present steady gross weak point within the authorities’s income assortment and monetary administration programs and processes, he provides.
Related audits of the consolidated account monetary statements in earlier years have proven much more worrying traits, which point out that the nationwide authorities will not be doing sufficient to interrupt away from the ugly previous in some areas. This wants pressing consideration.
He urged the LACC to assessment the important thing findings of the audit studies, particularly people who reference violations of the Public Monetary Administration Legislation (PFM), together with allegations of off-budget spending and different associated issues.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Fee ought to examine off-budget spending, under-disbursement to well being, schooling, and different vital sectors, and different efficiency and accountability-related points raised by the audit report in a well timed and thorough method.
The findings and proposals of the investigation should be printed and applied promptly, together with holding these implicated in any wrongdoing totally accountable for his or her actions and inactions.
“We urge the Joint Public Accounts Committee of the Legislature to well timed assessment and conduct inclusive public hearings on findings of audit report on the Consolidated Account. The outcomes of such hearings should be documented and totally applied by the Presidency to carry any wrongdoers accountable.”
He additional known as on residents to demand that the Ministry of Finance and Growth Planning and different authorities spending entities totally adjust to the PFM regulation and different rules referring to public spending, to correctly safeguard and make the most of public assets to affect the lives of abnormal residents positively.
We name on the Normal Auditing Fee and the Civil Service Company to have interaction with the management of the Judiciary to well timed conduct monetary, credential, and different audits of the Judiciary in order that present corruption and different associated points could be recognized and addressed, he concluded. Modifying by Jonathan Browne
