Tuesday 8, 2022: The Liberian Senate on Tuesday, February 8,2022, concurred with the House of Representative on the passage of the National budget at Seven Hundred Eighty-six million, five hundred eighty seven thousand, three hundred forty United States Dollars (786,587,340).

It can be recalled that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on behalf of President George M. Weah and the Executive Branch of Government, on Thursday November 18, submitted the draft national budget which will run from Jan 1 to December 31, 2022, to the National Legislature.

The draft budget at the time was submitted in the amount of 785,587,340.00, (Seven Hundred Eighty-five million, five hundred eighty-seven thousand, three hundred forty United States Dollars).

Finance and Development Planning Minister Hon. Samuel D. Tweah when presenting the fiscal instrument to House Speaker Dr. Bhofal Chambers; named eleven sectors as “significant priority” areas, to include Health, Education, Agriculture, Energy and Environment, Health, Industry and Commerce, Infrastructure and Basic Services, Security and Rule of Law, Public Administration and Transparency and Accountability.

Hon. Tweah also said last year that there is significant increment in every sector to address existing challenges.

The FY2022 national budget is the biggest budget in post-war.

For the Health sector, there is 11.3 percent increment in allocation, while education sector has a draft increment of 12.3 percent.

These increments are going to help solve educational and health challenges, while also helping to protect women and mothers from childbirth complications, issues of drugs and other administrative issues across hospitals, teachers and primary spending in education.

For social services which is basically about development interventions, there is a “massive” climb of 174.7 percent, equivalent to 26.3 million dollars.

Energy and environment have 76.1 percent increments, while Agriculture is 60.5 percent; industrial and commerce sectors is 62.6 percent, with security and the rule of law at 9.1 percent.

For the military and the national police, huge increments are made to address lots of problems including recruitments and issues of uniform and logistics; which are important to addressing crime issues.

The concurrence by the Senate is in line with Article 34D of the Constitution