Liberia: Senate Proposes U.S.$1.8 Million for Capitol Building Renovation

The Senate said the US$1.8m is projected to finance the restoration of the Joint Chamber upon the passage of the budget.

The Statutory Committee on Ways, Means, Finance, and Budget at the Liberian Senate has made an initial projection of US$1.8 million for the immediate renovation of the Joint Chamber of the Legislature.

Fire damaged the Joint Chamber on Wednesday this week, but authorities have not said what caused the fire.

The fire incident occurred in the wake of an unresolved political turmoil at the House of Representatives in which House Speaker Fonati Koffa was voted out by majority members of that body.

So far, an initial Supreme Court intervention did not end the crisis, and embattled Speaker Koffa is back at the court with a Bill of Information.

The House has to concur with the Senate on the proposed US1.8m.

Proposing to his colleagues on behalf of the Committee, Bong County Senator and Chairperson of the Committee, Prince K. Moye, said that they have made a conscious decision as a Legislature.

He noted that they will always endover to ensure that they look at critical issues that confront the country.

He added that the seat of the Legislature was gutted by fire at the time when the budget was about to be scrutinized and passed.

Senator Moye explained that they can’t sit and just look and ask partners.

“We have to start doing something on our own. So, looking at the situation, we don’t have the full details on the full restoration cost of that damage that has been done,” he noted.

Moye indicated that the committee thought to project US$1.8 million as an initial contribution to ensure that the construction of the Joint Chamber begins immediately upon the passage of the budget to restore the seat of the First Branch of Government.

According to him, these are major details coupled with other information that will be provided as the passage and final report from the committee.

“We didn’t plan for that, but it’s a major setback, and so, we have to project for that,” Moye pointed out.

Meanwhile, the Committee has proposed the restoration of the District Development Funds.

According to Moye, the proposal for the reactivation of the District Development Fund will be left with the plenary of the Liberian Senate to give further instructions so that the budget law can only state the governance and the management of the funding.

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“Mr. President of the Senate and colleagues, as you may be aware, the District Development Program is the only development activity that cut across the entire seventy-three districts of our country,” Moye indicated.

“As such, the impact of the government will be felt at the district level, and that district will have something to show every year if this funding is maintained,” he added.

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