Monrovia — Liberia’s nationwide price range recorded a income shortfall of $6.8 million within the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal yr.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
The shortfall is principally as a result of non-compliance by a number of State-Owned Enterprises and Bea Mountain Mining Company’s failure to pay mandated highway upkeep funds.
The revelation got here Tuesday throughout the sixteenth sitting of the fifty fifth Legislature’s Second Quarter session, the place the Home of Representatives acquired and debated the Quarter One Income Efficiency Report offered by the Committee on Methods, Means, Finance and Improvement Planning.
Maryland County District One Consultant and Committee Chair P. Mike Jury reported that the Liberia Income Authority collected $336 million as of Might 31, 2025. This fell wanting the projected $343 million for a similar interval.
In keeping with Consultant Jury, the income hole resulted from a number of elements together with non-remittance by State-Owned Enterprises to the nationwide price range, failure of Bea Mountain Mining Company to pay highway upkeep funds, delays in tax and non-tax collections by the Ministry of Finance and Improvement Planning, low budgetary assist to revenue-generating companies, and withholding of salaries by authorities entities that weren’t remitted to the Liberia Income Authority.
The Committee expressed critical concern over the deliberate withholding of internally generated funds and statutory remittances, warning that such non-compliance is a legal offense punishable by legislation.
The Committee emphasised that each one internally generated funds should be deposited into the consolidated fund account. Entities legally entitled to a share of those funds should put together annual budgets and submit month-to-month experiences for inclusion in quarterly fiscal updates to the Legislature.
The report additionally highlighted that the Judiciary doesn’t pay revenue taxes, and all charges collected by the Judiciary should not reported to the Liberia Income Authority or the consolidated account. Low assortment of actual property taxes was famous as a missed alternative to extend authorities income.
“These observations underline important gaps in compliance, transparency, and income administration that should be addressed to enhance fiscal governance and guarantee lawful monetary practices throughout all establishments,” the Committee stated.
Based mostly on these findings, the Committee really helpful that the Home management search an viewers with President George Weah to convey consideration to problems with non-compliance by State-Owned Enterprises and obstruction of the garnishing and viewing rights granted to the Liberia Income Authority beneath the 2025 Price range Legislation.
The Committee additionally urged enforcement of those rights and referred to as on the Ministry of Justice to facilitate constructive discussions between the Liberia Income Authority and the State-Owned Enterprises, moderately than obstructing the method. They additional proposed that the Liberia Income Authority, Ministry of Finance and Improvement Planning, and defaulting entities meet to search out options to handle excellent withholding money owed inherited from earlier administrations.
Throughout legislative deliberations, Bong County District Six Consultant Moima Briggs-Mensah moved to endorse the report and its advice for a presidential viewers to carry defaulting State-Owned Enterprises accountable. Nevertheless, this movement was challenged, and Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon granted a movement for reconsideration, delaying additional motion.
In a associated growth, the Home additionally handed a $5.14 million mortgage settlement between Liberia and the African Improvement Financial institution. The mortgage is meant to strengthen home income mobilization and assist institutional reforms beneath the Institutional Assist for Enhanced Home Income Mobilization and Reform Implementation Undertaking. The settlement was forwarded to the Senate for concurrence earlier than being despatched to the President for closing approval.
The Committee on Methods, Means, Finance and Improvement Planning endorsed the mission, stating it aligns with the federal government’s Rescue Agenda and can assist drive long-term financial stability.
