Planning Ministry Faith Hangs In Limbo By: MOHAMMED A. KROMAH House Speaker Alex Tyler and Pres. Sirleaf With many calls coming from opposition politicians and some members of civil society groups demanding the appointment of a new Minister at the Planning Ministry by the President of Liberia, it appears that the House of Representatives has yielded to the calls of those Liberians by not allotting funds to the Ministry until President Sirleaf can make an appointment of a minister to that Ministry. According to the Director of Press at the House of Representatives Isaac Reid, the House passed the 2013/2014 fiscal year budget and has submitted same to the House of Senate without allotment as there is not a permanent minister at the said ministry. Director Reid speaking on the UN Radio recently revealed that the lower house which also has oversight responsibility over the various ministries and agencies of government, ensured that relevant steps were taken to pass the national budget after the public hearings of all government ministries and agencies. It can be recalled more than a year ago since the appointment of the then Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs Amara Konneh as Finance Minister, calls have been coming from civil society groups and some opposition politicians calling on the president of Liberia to appoint a permanent minister at the ministry. The action exhibited by the lower house on the Ministry of Planning’s status shows that it (the lower house) has answered those repeated calls in favor of the appointment of a proper minister at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs. Finance Minister Amara Konneh continues to steer the affairs of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs since his departure from that ministry(Planning) more than a year ago.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 13:39:27 +0000