Capitol Hill, Liberia – The Plenary of the House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget, and Public Accounts and Expenditure to review and enforce compliance with the quarterly financial reporting requirements under the Amended and Restated Public Financial Management (PFM) Act of 2009, as amended and approved on October 22, 2019.
The decision followed a communication submitted by Montserrado County Electoral District #12 Representative, Hon. Jerry Yogboh, who expressed concern over the persistent failure of several Ministries, Agencies and Commissions (MACs), Autonomous Public Corporations, State-Owned Enterprises, and Revenue-Generating Institutions to comply with statutory quarterly reporting obligations as required by the PFM Act and the 2026 National Budget Law.
In his communication, Representative Yogboh emphasized that the Public Financial Management Act establishes the legal framework for prudent, transparent, and accountable management of public finances and affirms the Executive’s responsibility to account to the Legislature for the management of public resources.
He noted that the law requires the Minister of Finance and Development Planning to submit consolidated quarterly fiscal outturn and budget execution reports to the Legislature within forty-five (45) days after the end of each fiscal quarter. These reports, he said, rely on timely submissions from all spending entities and revenue-generating institutions.
Representative Yogboh lamented that many government institutions either submit their reports late or fail to submit them altogether. He further observed that even when reports are submitted, they are often not made available to Members of the House of Representatives, thereby undermining the Legislature’s constitutional oversight responsibility.
According to the lawmaker, the continued non-compliance has weakened legislative oversight, reduced transparency in the management of public funds, hindered effective monitoring of budget performance, delayed corrective interventions, and eroded public confidence in government institutions.
Following deliberations, Plenary mandated the Committees on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget and Public Accounts and Expenditure to review the communication, engage relevant institutions, and report their findings and recommendations to the full House within thirty (30) days.
The communication also calls for strict enforcement of the reporting requirements by all spending entities and revenue-generating institutions, timely submission of consolidated quarterly fiscal reports by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and the transmission of quarterly reports to all Members of the House through the Office of the Chief Clerk to promote transparency and informed legislative oversight.
Additionally, the proposal recommends that Standing Committees regularly review reports from institutions under their jurisdiction and submit quarterly oversight reports to Plenary. It further seeks sanctions against institutions or heads of institutions that persistently fail to comply with the reporting requirements in accordance with the Public Financial Management Act, the Standing Rules of the House of Representatives, and other applicable laws.
The House of Representatives reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening fiscal accountability, transparency, and effective legislative oversight to ensure the prudent management of public resources in the interest of the Liberian people.
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