Senator Clarice A. Jah of Margibi County and Chair Person of the Senate Statutory Committee on Executive says she is making sure that the 2012/2013 national budget reflects a component that benefits rural broadcasting.

Speaking on August 19 2012 at Official Program marking the lunch of the Legislative Spotlight/Dialogue Forum in Kakata, Senator Jah told the forum that it is her hope that the committee reviewing the budget will include the rural broadcaster.

The forum which brought together over 30 rural broadcasters from around the Country was organized by the Liberia Media For Democratic Initiative under theme: The 2012/2013 National Fiscal Budget, rural Liberia Sensitivity, An Imperative For Rural Development. It was actually meant to get the rural broadcasters involve the discussion of the national budget.

See below the full text of Senator presentation that was broadcast live during the dialogue.

SENATOR CLARICE A. JAH BUDGET REVIEW HELD INFRONT OF A LIVE

AUDIENCE AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING IN KAKATA CITY ON

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012 AT 10:30 AM

Let me firstly welcomed, on behalf of the citizens, all participants to Margibi County. We Margibians are honored for our county to be selected for the official launch of the "LEGISLATIVE SPOTLIGHT". We are indeed grateful. On a rather personal note, I will like to express my thanks appreciation to Mr. John Kollie and his partners for the invitation accorded me. It is my hope that we all will use this interactive forum to objectively express our views on the topic under review. Let me start by giving some insight on the proposed National Budget for fiscal year 2012/13 and where we are.

The proposed 2012/13 National Budget is in the tone of $649.7 million. This comprises of operational budget, $400 million (62%) and with public sector investment component comprising of $249.7 million (38%).

It is important to inform the general public that the 2012/13 proposed National Budget was formulated in accordance with Section 8(1) of the 2009 Public Financial Management Law, PFM. This proposed budget is a part of a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and a multi-year budgeting for Liberia, a three year budget program.

Presently, the proposed National Budget is being deliberated and discussed by both the House of Representatives and the House of Senate. To accelerate the process, both houses have agreed to constitute a Joint Budget Committee to fast track and reconciled some of the many disagreements consider in our views. The Joint Committee which comprises of both Houses is reviewing the budget. The Revenue side of the budget was discussed in executive owing to an appeal from the government that it had security implication. However, the expenditure side of the budget is currently being discuss with line government ministries and agencies appearing before the Joint Committee to provide their expenditure reports for the past year and at the same time, disclosing their programs and expenditure in the budget.

The Joint Committee finding in all legislative matters is significant. Constituting a Joint Committee takes away legislative red-tape and formalities and brings the issue at hand to a connective review by both Houses. In most cases, the decisions reached by a joint committee reflect the views and aspiration of both Houses. Even though recommendation from the joint committee is subject to plenary review, hence, report from the joint committee is mostly a foregone conclusion.

DELAY IN THE PASSAGE OF NATIONAL BUDGET

We are cognisant of the public sentiment on the delay of the passage of the budget and these negative sentiments are far removed from the reality. What most of our people do not understand is, to streamline the budget takes time. Our major impediment in reviewing the budget is, the time allotted for submission, reviewing and hearing, scrutinising and passing it in to law is inadequate. It is necessary to point out that by law the Executive submits the National Budget on the 30th of May each year and the Legislature deliberates on it from 31st May to June 31st. Meaning that on the 1st. of July the President should have signed the instrument into law and government starts its normal operations. But this is not the case. The delay in the submission of the Budget stands as a significant impediment in reaching the time line set aside by law. But let me say that the delay in the passage does not necessarily discontinue recurrent expenditure of government or any program of government. Provision under our law gives the president the authority to continue to run the country by using one-twelve of the previous budget while deliberations are ongoing. Therefore, let me assure the Liberian People that the Legislature will not do or engage in any act that will undermine the development programs of this country. We are cognisant of the importance of the passage of the budget but the hurry passage without due diligent in terms of quantifying those allocations in the budget, item by item, will not be healthy for our country. Let us give the Joint Committee time to do their job.

RURAL LIBERIA SENSITIVITY IN THE BUDGET

Again, let me give you all a sensitive reflection of the budget as it relates to entities that have direct oversights on rural Liberia. In this way, you will draw your own conclusion as to whether or not; the budget is sensitive to rural Liberia.

Ministry of Internal Affairs: FY 2010/2011- $24,816,218.00, FY 2011/12- $30,285,639.00, FY $2012/13- $34,494,321.00

Ministry of Health & Social Welfare: FY 2010/11- $30,686,795.00, FY 2011/12- $39,578,023.00, FY 2012/13 -$84,079,084.00

Ministry of Education: FY 2010/11- $32,244,144, FY 2011/12- $40,079,321.00, FY 2012/13- $66,669,418.00

Ministry of Agriculture: FY 2010/11- $7,522,577.00, FY 2011/12- $9,658,274.00, FY 2012/13- $52,261,585.00 And

Ministry of Public Works: FY 2010/11- $33,532,901.00, FY 2011/12- $36,498,926.00, FY 2012/13- $146, 532559.00.

You will agree with me that the progressive trend these entities' budgets are formulated is astronomical, meaning that more attention has been focus on their responsibilities in the rural areas of our country. In my view, indeed, government is sensitive to the development of rural Liberia. It is unfortunate again to point out that the budget in its sensitivity, did not take into consideration subsidies to community radio stations, this is why I as Chairperson on the Executive is working tirelessly behind the scene so as to ensure that this budget reflects a component that benefits rural broadcasting.

However, while I feel strongly that this budget, which is part of the Medium Term Framework, is economically sound and touch all sectors of our country, I must raise some fundamental disagreement with the crafters. I know other lawmakers have similar grievances but since I am a seating senator of Margibi County, I will focus my concentration on Margibi. For example on the educational front, my attention is being drawn to allocation made in the draft National Budget for Booker Washington Institute. FY 2011/12, Booker Washington Institute had a total of 2 million one hundred and eighty four thousand two hundred. Sadly in this Fiscal Year Budget, BWI has 2 million seventy four thousand three dollars, with the difference of one hundred and ten thousand, one hundred ninety seven dollars short fall. I do not know nor has there been information provided from the Ministry of Finance regarding this short fall. Additionally, I must welcome the allocation made for the Harbel Multilateral High School in this year's budget. Unlike the 2011/2012 budget in which Harbel Multilateral did not receive money, in this budget she has an allocation of two hundred fifty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three dollars; a laudable effort on the part of government.

At the same time the health sector of Margibi County did not see any budget change in the County Health budget. Justas in FY 2011/12, the Margibi Health Budget of FY 2012/13, the Margibi Health System and the C.H. Rennie Hospital had stagnated budgets of one hundred thirty thousand and one hundred ninety-three, sixty hundred eighty-nine dollars respectively. Again no explanation, however, it is interesting to note that while our National Budget is growing astronomically in size, our health sector in Margibi County remained stagnant.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, don't get me wrong, if for any reason the Ministry of Finance saw it expedient to reduce or not to increase the county health sector budget, I believe there is a logical explanation but until we are given those reasons, we still maintained that the Health Budget of Margibi County is inadequate. This is our position. We have raised our concern with colleagues on the Joint Committee and we have registered said concern.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen let me pause here to entertain your views.

THANK YOU.