Resident Boakai Seeks Legislature Approval For Extension…. Risks Breaching Budget Submission Deadline

** By Amos Harris**

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has requested additional time to prepare and submit the proposed 2027 National Budget.

In official communications to the Liberian Legislature, President Boakai indicated that his administration intends to submit the proposed FY2027 National Budget on November 6, 2026, instead of meeting the October 31 statutory deadline.

The President reportedly justified the request by arguing that additional preparation time would enable his administration to produce a realistic and credible budget that reflects national development priorities, revenue projections, and government spending requirements.

However, the request has sparked questions about whether the Executive can legally extend the budget submission deadline without violating the provisions of the Amended and Restated Public Financial Management (PFM) Act.

Section 17.1 of the PFM Act requires the draft national budget to be submitted to the Legislature at least two months before the end of the current fiscal year. With Liberia’s fiscal year running from January 1 to December 31, October 31 serves as the statutory submission deadline.

This legal requirement is intended to provide lawmakers with sufficient time to examine government revenue projections, scrutinize proposed expenditures, conduct public hearings, and make necessary adjustments before approving the national budget for the following fiscal year.

Critics argue that allowing the Executive to submit the budget beyond the statutory deadline could weaken legislative oversight and undermine the country’s commitment to financial discipline and the rule of law. They maintain that government institutions must respect the same laws they are constitutionally mandated to enforce.

The PFM framework also establishes administrative and financial accountability measures for public officials who violate financial management requirements. Depending on the nature and seriousness of a violation, sanctions may include administrative action, financial recovery, surcharges, or criminal prosecution under applicable laws.

Meanwhile, a source within the Legislature has disclosed that budget hearings have already been conducted by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, suggesting that much of the preparatory work for the proposed budget has been completed.

According to the source, the remaining process is largely the formal submission of the budget document to the Legislature for consideration and approval. The source further questioned why the government continues to delay the process when technical discussions and internal hearings have reportedly taken place, particularly at a time when civil servants are demanding improved salaries and better working conditions.

The legislative source also expressed disappointment over what was described as the Legislature’s limited attention to salary increases for government employees, despite growing public concerns about the high cost of living and inadequate compensation across the civil service.

Questions were also raised about the government’s promised salary harmonization program, with the source wondering what had happened to the commitments made to public workers during the political process.

“With all the political promises made about harmonization, what has happened to those commitments?” the source questioned, expressing concern that civil servants continue to wait for meaningful improvements in their welfare.

The source further suggested that some lawmakers appear more concerned about protecting political relationships than addressing the economic challenges facing ordinary government employees, adding that public workers deserve concrete action rather than repeated assurances.

As the November 6 proposed submission date approaches, attention is now turning to whether the Legislature will grant President Boakai’s request and, more importantly, whether any extension can be justified under the existing legal framework.

The controversy places renewed focus on the responsibility of both the Executive and Legislature to uphold the PFM Law, protect public resources, and ensure that the 2027 National Budget addresses the pressing needs of ordinary Liberians, particularly civil servants struggling with low salaries and rising living costs.

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