GoL Climax draft FY 2025 Open Budget Awareness across Montserrado County

 Monrovia, Liberia - To ensure access to public information and promote accountability and transparency across the Government, the Government of Liberia, through the Open Budget Initiative Office at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, has climaxed a week-long draft FY 2025 Open Budget Awareness across Montserrado County.

 

The Draft FY 2025 National budget awareness is intended to give the public access to budget information and opportunities to participate in the budget process at the county and Community levels.

 

Making remarks at the opening, Director for Budget, Policy and Coordination, Mr. Julius Boakia said the government budget is a plan that identifies “where the money will come from and also states how the Government will spend the money on those activities that are defined, as well as, who will be spending that money.

According to him, the budget team is currently in Montserrado County to solicit inputs and feedback from citizens across different levels of society.

 

He noted that the draft national budget awareness is one of the government’s key priorities, which is required by law to disseminate relevant information following the draft budget submission to the National Legislature.

 

Moreover, the Assistant Director for Budget Dissemination and Fiscal Transparency at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Ms. Carolyn Myers called on all citizens to support the Government through a robust tax payment system that would enable the government to carry on its development purposes.

 

‘’Paying taxes will lead to providing a good healthcare system, building schools and clinics, constructing roads, and bridges, and improving the education sectors, and the economy’’ she explained.  

 

She disclosed that the awareness process is meant to reach out to citizens across the various urban and rural communities

Gathering views from various districts, the Community Chairman of Old Matadi, Mr. Kermo Sherrif noted ‘’ In my 62 years of existing on earth, I have not seen the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning team coming to my community, this is very new and highly appreciated that the Government can be accountable to the people ’’.   

 

The outreach activities were in West Point, Central Monrovia, Old Matadi, Thinker’s Village Community, Careysburg, the Paynesville Joe Bar Community, and the SDA High School.

 

Student groups, representatives of school administrations and teaching staff, community leaders, and personnel from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning attended.