Liberian Government takes the budget to the people through the National Open Budget launch in Bong County

Gbarnga, Bong County -  The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and her partner – Local Empowerment for Accountability and Decentralization (USAID LEAD) have launched its nationwide Open Budget Initiative (OBI) for FY2024 and pre-budget consultations for FY2025.

The activities that are part of the Government’s fiscal transparency and public participation program are intended to report to citizens on the performance of the FY2024 Budget and solicit their input for FY2025. 

The OBI consultations are intended to provide a platform for all citizens to understand how the government budget is compiled, allocated, and spent, as well as to enhance public participation in the transparency of the national budget process. It also delves into the revenue generation and performance of the national budget.

The citizens’ engagement will provide the public with detailed information on the allocation of funds to counties, districts, and institutions by the Government of Liberia. 

The continuous increase in public participation in the budget process will enable citizens to understand how much funding their districts and counties receive from the national budget and how those funds will impact local development and the delivery of public services.

This year’s event was launched on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in Gbarnga, Bong County with a school of citizens from various sectors (students, physically challenged, CSOs, business community, and so on) of the county.

The launch event brought together local government representatives, civil society representatives, students, and the public to discuss the importance of transparency and accountability in the budget.

Furthermore, the government will continue to be open and give more opportunities for the public to have a say in how the government raises and manages public funds. The government also included civil society organizations in the group to advise her on how to be more open and accountable to the Liberian people.

The first half of the year’s (January – June 2024) budget activities have been reported on a fact sheet for public consumption.

 This fact sheet provides a clear picture of the government’s expectations, approved, actual and balances of revenue generation, budget allocation and spending. Details of the fact sheet are discussed (explanation and response to questions and comments) as a vital part of the OBI engagement for FY2024.

Lastly, in preparation for FY2025, a consultative engagement will deliver brilliant ideas from the public on the various pillars of the ARREST Agenda to include health, education, climate change, energy and environment, transparency and accountability, social development, and human security. Cross section of participants will be divided into groups and discuss the paramount issues of national development.